


Judgement

by Sillva



Category: Darksiders (Video Games), RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Dark, Armageddon, Dark Comedy, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, F/M, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Freeform, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Seven Deadly Sins, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2018-12-31 05:30:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12125571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sillva/pseuds/Sillva
Summary: Since the dawn of time, the armies of Heaven and Hell have waged an endless war.Drawn to this conflict was the Charred Council, an entity bound by the ancient laws to preserve order and balance. It held that any great power, left unchecked, threatened the very fabric of the universe.With the Charred Council’s intervention, in time Heaven and Hell came to honor the Council and its laws, for none be they Angel or Demon were beyond the swift and terrible justice of the Council’s enforcers.There was the Weiss Schnee white Rider of Conquest, then there was Yang Xiao Long the Red Rider of War, the Black Rider of Famine Blake Belladonna, and finally their leader the Pale Rider of Death Ruby Rose. These four were a fearsome sisterhood known simply as the Four Horsemen.





	1. The Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to my RWBY/Darksiders crossover, which I am currently just calling Judgement. This is not what you would call a true crossover since I will not be using most of the Darksiders cast, but instead I will be borrowing their world and its themes. Of course this means that the story may have some similarities, but will greatly different from what is offered in Darksiders.
> 
> Since all of that is the case this first chapter is going to be throwing a lot of exposition and world building at you all at once, but I hope you will be able to enjoy it. Also please if you get the chance, I would love to hear your thoughts about this work in the comments below.

Since the dawn of time, the armies of Heaven and Hell have waged an endless war. A war with such scale and scope that not even the all seeing or the all knowing could grasp it in its entirety.

Drawn to this conflict was the Charred Council, an entity bound by the ancient laws to preserve order and balance. It held that any great power, left unchecked, threatened the very fabric of the universe.

With the Charred Council’s intervention, in time Heaven and Hell came to honor the Council and its laws, for none be they Angel or Demon were beyond the swift and terrible justice of the Council’s enforcers.

There was the Weiss Schnee white Rider of Conquest, then there was Yang Xiao Long the Red Rider of War, the Black Rider of Famine Blake Belladonna, and finally their leader the Pale Rider of Death Ruby Rose. These four were a fearsome sisterhood known simply as the Four Horsemen.

Amid the Turmoil that came in the wake of Heaven and Hell’s war, the first humans emerged. It was long after that, that the Council foretold that these weak, but cunning creatures would someday be an integral part of the balance. Thus a third kingdom was named, the Kingdom of Man.

Now with all fighting halted, by order of the Council, a truce was forged between Heaven and Hell. The great pack was bound by Seven Seals, each to be broken at the appointed time. Said time was only when Man’s Kingdom stood ready for the Endwar, the final battle between Heaven and Hell, the battle that would bring lasting balance and determine the ultimate fate of the three kingdoms.

Or at least that is how it was supposed to happen, however few things ever go completely as planned. This is true regardless if you are a man, angel, demon, or even a god.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A great bell rang out from the highest tower of the Grand Cathedral of Oum and it echoed across the endless golden horizons that made up the Kingdom of Heaven. Upon hearing its meaningful melody the angels of Heaven all halted their labors and stared up in awe before broking into a haunting song of jubilation.

Meanwhile a mighty horn sounded from somewhere deep in the bottomless bowels of Hell’s molten pits. As the horn’s thunderous roar grow louder and lowered, so did the sounds of war-drums and demonic battle cries.

These two events while taking place worlds apart were not random nor were they unconnected, for they both had the same meaning. They were the signal. The signal that the seven seals had been broken, and that the time had come for the Four Horsemen to ride to the Kingdom of Man and herald in the end of days.

///////////////////////////////////////////////

**Kingdom of Man**

Somewhere high above the Earth’s surface, above even the clouds, above even the highest mountain top, a mighty thunderclap rang out. The deafening blast shook the heavens and seemed to scorch the sky painting it a bright shade of red before it was plunged into darkness. It was at that moment that space itself seemed to rip apart leaving a hole in the fabric of reality, and then a dark portal formed in the newly created gap.

As soon as the portal had appeared four flaming objects shot through it at incomprehensible speeds. Each objected gave off a wicked aura of varying color, shape, and size, but all denoted a power beyond the realm of man.

As the balls of flame lowered altitude and began to slow, it became clear that they were moving on their own accord. The fireballs were correcting course and even maintaining a tight formation with their companions. To an outside perspective it would’ve looked like a group of meteorites had obtained sentience, but for those who knew better they would see these objects for what they truly were, and they would cower, pray to the creator that they had not come for thee.

The Four Horsemen had arrived in the Kingdom of Man.

From within one of the four fireballs a voice deep echoed. Though it sounded twisted and contorted into something that couldn’t possibly be human, in defiance of white noise created through the rushing winds, the words came through loud and clear.

“I can’t believe this is actually happening!” The voice spoke from within a fireball of pale green flames. Past the flames a dark clad humanoid figure could just barely be made out. The figure appeared to be female, with short dark hair, a bone like mask obscured her face, and a black cape and cowl cloaked most of her small form. The woman was also sat upon a pale horse that emanated a sickly energy and almost seemed skeletal. “The end is finally here after sixteen-hundred years of waiting, we can finally ride!”

“Hey I hear that sis.” Another voice erupted from a bright red fireball. Another woman spoke, this one with bright red eyes that pierced right through the thick flames created by both her mount and her own long flowing main of golden flaming locks. From an outside perspective it might have appeared as if she was being burned, but in truth her body was naturally like this.

The second horsemen’s body was also far larger than the first riders. Her physique was that of a pure warrior, cut from granite and sharpened to a razors edge. So much so that it could even be easily notice through the thick full plate armor she wore over most of her form. A great broadsword hung from her back and her gauntlets were larger and thicker than what seemed necessary for defense suggesting that they had some offensive applications as well. “It might’ve just been sixteen-hundred years for you, but for us it’s been even longer. I’ve been waiting for this day for nearly eighteen-hundred years now.”

The first horsemen let out a contorted giggle that seemed vastly out of place given her nightmarish visage. “Oh, trust me I know. We’ve been putting up with your complaints for decades now you know?” This comment earned a snort from the second horsemen and a few chuckles from the two remaining fireballs. After waiting a moment for silence to once again rein, the first horsemen spoke again. “So, now that we’re here, where is everyone going to go first?” She asked.

The first one to reply was the red horsemen. “Vacuo of course, I figured it would be a great chance to work on my tan!” She declared.

“It’s the end of the world and you want to tan, seriously?” Spoke the third horsemen from within her ball of white flame. This horseman was also a fair bit smaller than her red counterpart and her voice was also a fair bit softer than the first two and carried an air of nobility about it. However, the pristine white armor she wore promised fortitude. Also with the white longbow that clung to her back and the gleaming silver rapier that hung from her side, it was clear at a glance that she was a formidable fighter. “You do realize that you’re literally a walking inferno right. Would a tan even be noticeable?”

The red horsemen scuffed at white’s comment. “I was joking Ice Queen, geez. We’ve been together for what? Two-thousand years now and you still can’t pick up on this stuff.”

“First of all, stop calling me that! If you’re going to call me anything other than by my name, it better be Conquest. Secondly, I’m fully aware of what you meant!” The white horsemen snapped. “I was just trying to make a point about this being a more serious matter than our usual affair and you shouldn’t decide your course of actions on a whim. The fate of the balance rests on our shoulders after all.”

“Yeah, yeah I hear you Weiss.” The red horsemen said as she waved dismissively. “Since you seem to have it all figured out, why don’t you tell use where you planning to go your majesty?”

Ignoring the obvious jab at her, the white horsemen quickly replied with. “Atlas of course.”

“Atlas, are you being for real? And I’m the one not taking this seriously?” The red horsemen questioned.

“And what’s pray tell is wrong with Atlas!?” The white horsemen shot back.

“Well I wouldn’t say there’s anything wrong with it, not unless you’re actually looking for a challenge that is.” The red rider retorted and then when it looked like the white rider was about to say something she went on. “I mean that place is already a frozen wasteland so half the work will be done for you before you even arrive. Then even if you managed to find any people to reap, what’re you going to do, make it colder? I don’t think they will be impressed. Now Vacuo on the other hand, that place is swarming with strong fighters. I’m looking forward to seeing what humanity can do in a real fight.”

“Fighters?” The white rider asked with a raised eyebrow. “You do realize that Atlas is the greatest military power in the world right? They may be few in number, but their superior technology and training has made them a formidable force. If anything, I’m the one who will be doing most of the heavy lifting today.”

The red rider growled and looked like she was going to continue the argument, but their pale leader cut in by addressing the last member of their party. “What about you Blake? Where do you plan on heading?”

The last horseman was riding on a black horse and was cloaked in shadows. From within the shadows a pair of bright amber eyes peered outward, like a lighthouse cutting through fog they met the eyes of their leader. Then she opened her mouth to speak and a buzzing sound began to emanate from her as she spoke. “I think I will head to Mistral. I hear it is nice this time of year.”

“I bet it won’t be nice for much longer.” The red horseman said jokingly.

The group broke into a light laughing fit at that, before their leader spoke again. “I guess that leaves me Vale then.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed. Vale is a fine conquest.” The white horseman reassured.

“Oh, I’m not. Vale is perfect. It’s just that it hasn’t sunken in that this is really happening.” Their leader replied curtly. “Well, I guess it’s about time we parted ways huh?” She offered.

“Yeah, I do believe you are correct.” The black rider replied.

“Alright, let’s do this!” The red rider cheered as she pounded her armored fists together.

“Fight hard and remember your training sisters!” The white rider chipped in.

With that each rider said their goodbyes and well wishes before splitting off in different directions all while still travelling at breakneck speed.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Now alone with only her thoughts and her trusted mount to keep her company, Ruby Rose the leader of the Four Horsemen let out an explosive sigh. The reason for her exasperation was because she wasn’t sure how to currently feel.

She knew she was supposed to be feeling excited right now. And in a way she was. It was the Endwar after all. This was the day she had been waiting for like, forever. However, something just didn’t feel right about it. Even though the call had been sent out, it came so suddenly, and she still had yet to hear from the council. She figured that the council would’ve given her and her team at least some heads up before the event itself, but nothing, zip, zilch. That was odd to say the least, though the council wasn’t known for being very forthcoming, and it didn’t decide when the Endwar was going to come so it might not have known.

Then there was also the fact that she still wasn’t completely comfortable with her team’s responsibilities here. Their primary responsibility was to act as heralds. When the seventh seal was broken, her four horsemen were to ride forth to punish the wicked. It mattered not who or what they were, be they sons of Men, Lords of Heaven, or the Dregs of Hell. That part she didn’t take issue with. There was only one minor problem. This battle wouldn’t just involve the wicked. There would be hundreds of millions of innocents stuck in between and her and her sister’s crusade would force her into battle with them all.

After all, the plan called for Ruby and her fellow horsemen to launch an all out assault on each of the major cities of man. The instructions were simple enough, announce yourselves, attack with everything you have, kill everyone who flees for they are cowards, and kill everyone who fights back because they are interfering. If the human’s proved to be a formidable foe, then the Endwar could begin in earnest, and the gates of Heaven and Hell would be flung open allowing their armies to march forth and for the souls of the fallen to enter their domains respectively.

For this plan to succeed however, Ruby wouldn’t be aloud to show mercy even to the weak. Since doing so could taint the test results. If they had to call off the Endwar just because she couldn’t do her duty properly, her whole team could suffer the consequences, and she dreaded to imagine what those would entail. She’s worked with the Charred Council long enough to know it wasn’t known for its leniency.

“Well at least a quick death at our hand should be a far more merciful end than anything the legions of hell would grant them. Also despite their self-righteous airs the soldiers of Heaven were far from empathetic for the plights of lesser beings.” Ruby reassured herself before sighing again and clasping a hand over her mask. “It is going to be a long day.”

It was at that moment that Ruby’s mount began to buck and screech wildly as if trying to get its riders attention. “Huh, hey easy, what is it boy?!” She yelled. Then the skeletal horse screeched again and looked like it was trying to stop itself, but couldn’t stop without its riders command. Realizing this, Ruby looked ahead to see the capital city of Vale sprawled out before her.

Ruby had already arrived in the Kingdom of Vale without even realizing it, but that wasn’t what her companion had been trying to warn her of. No, it was far more likely the towering skyscraper she was currently barreling towards at over a hundred miles per hour.

“Oh crud!” Ruby shouted as she pulled hard on her mounts reins, but it was too little, and too late. Both Ruby and her mount let out a muffled cry as they slammed into the side of the building with all the force of a ballistic missile. The pale green flames had had been shrouding them dissipated as the force of their momentum carried them through the outer wall of what they could now see was some sort of business space with cubicles arranged throughout the space.

Then Ruby’s momentum continued to carry her and her mount through the floor of the office space, then the floor below that, and the next after that, the whole way down shattering glass windows, crumbling steel support beams, and smashing through masonry. This continued until she finally smashed through the far side window five stories below her entry point ejecting her from the building. Now in open air, Ruby had just enough time to breathe before she crashed into the front of a bakery across the street.

“Ouchy, that wasn’t pleasant.” Ruby groaned as she slowly picked herself out up off the bakery floor and shook the dust and rubble from her clothing. Her mount soon did the same and snorted in a way that told his master that he was annoyed. Hearing this she turned to face her mount. “You alright boy?” She asked.

Ruby’s mount snorted and huffed. Ruby giggled because to her trained ear what she heard was. “Yes, no thanks to you!”

“Sorry, I should’ve been paying more attention. Speaking of which,” Ruby admitted before turning back towards the rest of the shop she had just crashed into. Most of the shop was in ruins, the front had almost completely caved in and the remains were now scattered throughout.

Also Ruby could just make out a mangled body crumpled behind what remained of the front counter. Seeing this, Ruby’s eyes widened before she fell down to her knees and screamed. “Oh no, what’ve I done! I’m a monster!” However, her concern was not for the poor soul buried in the rubble, but instead it was directed at the smashed display case. Sprawled out across the floor were confections of all shapes and sizes. There were several cakes, a few muffins, couple of donuts, and even a whole plate of cookies. All of which looked like they had once been delicious, but were now ruined.

“I’m so sorry little ones, I didn’t mean it! It was an accident!” Ruby declared as she stared down at the mess she had made. During this time Ruby’s mount had moseyed up beside her and began to lap up icing from one of the smashed cakes with its black rotting tongue. Seeing this made Ruby’s eyes light up with hope. “Your right boy, it’s too early to give up! Maybe some of them can still be saved.” With that realization she began desperately sifting through the rubble for anything that still looked edible.

After a moment of searching, Ruby finally found one treat that had miraculously managed to survive the carnage completely in tact. When she held the pristine chocolate chip cookie in hand, she held it up like it had been bestowed upon her by the creators themselves and she nearly wept with joy. “Don’t you worry little one, I won’t let you go to waste!” She declared before lifting up her skull mask just high enough to jam the treat into her mouth. She then hummed in delight as she savored her reward.

Ruby was broken from her revelry when a frightened voice entered her hears. “What the hell was that, a meteor?! Hey is anyone alive in there!? Does anyone hear me!?” Ruby also heard a few other voices each mumbling their own concerns, all coming from the entrance of the shop.

Ruby quickly swallowed the rest of her cookie before speaking. “I guess it’s show time, boy.” Her mount’s only reply was a snort. Then Ruby tugged back down her Mask and quickly pulled herself back on top of her stead. “Right, let’s do this.”

Ruby’s mount gave a nod as it began to slowly walk towards the smashed entrance. Meanwhile Ruby was having a minor panic attack on the inside. She was now seconds away from revealing herself before humanity. “It’s okay, you’ve practiced for this moment for centuries. You can do this!” She tried to reassure herself.

A moment later and Ruby’s stead was stepping out into the light of day. Straight ahead of her she could see the building she had crashed into earlier. The gaping hole that she had created as she passed through it still smoldered, her pale flames still clinging to the sides. Looking down she could see that a rather large crowd had gathered around. Some wore curious expressions, others looked concerned or frighten, and all of them were now staring at her and her mount.

“Umm, hello.” Ruby said as she raised a hand in greeting. Then mentally kicked herself when she realized that she was not only using her normal voice, but her usual manner of speaking. A manner of speech that was not well suited for intimidation. Her choice of words didn’t help either she supposed.

A few of the people around her glanced at one another in bewilderment before one finally worked up the courage to speak. He was a rather tall man with short black hair and brown eyes. “Hel-hello, umm do you know what just happened? Is this a movie set or something?”

Ruby looked down to meet the man’s eyes. She could see him visibly tense up when he looked into the cold silver orbs that peeked out from behind her mask. Ruby decided to ignore the man, pulling on the reins to direct her horse forward and pushing her way through the crowd.

“Hey wait! I said wait!” The man called after Ruby as she went.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Ruby said. Her voice was now every bit as cold and distorted as it had been before when speaking to her sisters.

Upon hearing the horsemen speak those words, many became uneasy and began to put space between themselves and Ruby. Now with some room to breathe and a captive audience, this was as good a time as any to get things started. “Kingdom of man, hear me now! I am Death and I have come baring joyous news! The time of your final judgment is here!”

That statement caused a few confused and bewildered murmurs to spread throughout the crowd. “Final Judgment?” One whispered. “Did she just call herself Death? Is this girl some sort of nutcase?” Another spoke. “She has to be right, look at that crazy get up she’s wearing.” A third person spoke.

Ignoring the murmurs of the crowd Ruby went on. “The Endwar will soon be upon us, but before that time can come, you must prove yourselves ready.” She declared before reaching behind her back to draw a large device of some kind. Then she flicked a switch on the device causing it to unfold and extend to nearly four times its length and at the end a thin curved blade revealed itself.

“I-is that a scythe?!” A man from the crowd asked sounding frightened.

“Among other things.” Ruby replied before twirling the newly formed weapon around a few times in a practiced fashion. “Now then, for anyone who believes themselves ready for this test, step forward and face me in combat! For those who do not believe, you may stay where you are and Death shall welcome you with her embrace.”

With that declaration the crowd fell into silence, everyone was uncertain what they should do. “Is no one here willing to face me?” Ruby asked.

Then a new voice called out. “You there, put down the weapon and step off the horse!”

Ruby looked over towards the source of the voice to see a man in a blue police uniform walking towards her with a handgun drawn. “Ah so somebody has chosen to face me.”

“I said put down the weapon!” The police officer yelled as he leveled his weapon at Ruby.

“Very well,” Ruby said as she raised her weapon and for a moment it looked like she might drop it, but instead grasped it with both hands. “I shall face you!” Then her mount reared up on its hind legs before breaking into a charge towards the officer.

“Shit!” The officer cried out before he panic fired in the horsemen’s direction. The first round he fired was easily deflected by Ruby’s scythe and for a moment the cop was dumbstruck by the sight of something that is usually only seen in fantasy. However when he realized the crazed scythe wielder was still heading his way at an incredible speed he knew he could let himself loose focus and began unloading round after round at his attacker.

Ruby wasn’t deterred by the gunfire and in an inhuman feat of speed and dexterity she continued to skillfully deflect each and every round fired in her direction until her opponent’s clip was emptied and her mount was upon him. The officer cried out in horror as he stared hopelessly into eyes of death. Ruby’s horse reared up again before letting out a haunting wail of its own and the horsemen’s hand swung down cleaving the man’s head off clean off his shoulders in one swing.

Now a whole head shorter, the former officer’s neck became a fountain of crimson before he crumpled onto the street. For a moment the crowd was too stunned by what they had just wittiness to reacted, they simply couldn’t believe what they had just seen to be real. However when a wet splat could be heard from a few feet away and the crowd turned to see the former officer’s head rolling on hard pavement, there was no longer any room for doubt.

The mob, because mob was the only word that could describe them now, descended into complete panic. They were screaming words like monster, murderer, and psychopath mostly directed at Ruby, but the most prominent among the words being used were directed at each other and those words were run, escape, and flee. They also seemed keen on doing just that as they began to scatter in all directions.

Seeing this scene play out Ruby could only shake her head as she recalled her orders. ‘Kill anyone who flees. There shall be no place nowhere to run, nor anywhere to hide in the Endwar, therefore there will be no place in the in it for cowards.’ Ruby let out one final sigh as she resigned herself to her task. “Foolish creatures, you cannot out run Death!”

Then making good on her claim, the horsemen of Death snapped her reins, and her mount responded with renewed vigor speeding off in the direction its master had willed it. However, this time a pale green energy enveloped them both before their image became a dark blur that stretched across roadway in a zigzagging pattern beheading every person that intersected their path. By the time the blur finally settled, Ruby and her stead had moved across nearly three blocks in what seemed like the blink of an eye leaving nothing but carnage and blacked rose petals in their wake.

Ruby looked back on the work she had done with cold eyes. “This is too easy. Surely they can offer me more of a challenge than this?” She pondered allowed. Then almost on queue, Ruby heard the roar of an engine and rushing winds and when she looked up to see a helicopter flying overhead with the words police spread across the side, and when a booming voice called out for her surrender she felt a smile coming on. “It appears more brave warriors have appeared, perhaps they can fair better.”

///////////////////////////////////////////

**Kingdom of Heaven: Great Cathedral of Oum**

The Great Cathedral of Oum as the name suggests is a cathedral dedicated to Oum, the creator of all things that Heaven’s light touches. It acts as both Heaven’s mightiest fortress and as a shining beacon of hope to its chosen people. And it is usually a place of complete peace and tranquility, but as it’s grand bell chimed, and an immaculate chorus erupted from outside and from within, the Cathedral was anything other than peaceful and tranquil.

Added to the white noise was the sound of over a dozen humanoid figures marching through the halls of the Cathedral. Their group moved in a tight formation with every step being measured. Their garb was a collection of whites and gold. Some wore decadent armor, while others held remarkable weapons, while all featured a pair of large white feathered wings on their backs. Leading this group was a tall woman with curly blond hair that was gathered into a tidy bun and sharp blue eyes that seemed like they could pierce steel.

The woman leading this group was none other than Glynda Goodwitch, commander of the Hellguard the most elite fighting force under Heaven’s banner. Because of this, she was also the right hand to Ozpin himself, who was also known as the Great Overseer of Heaven. The Great Overseer is the highest seat an angel could hold and the only one who is permitted direct audience with the creator barring very special occasions.

As the group reached the end of a gilded hallway they found themselves stood before a set of large ornate doors. That is when Glynda raised her hand to indicate for her followers to halt. They did not hesitate for even a moment; each stopped in place and gave a crisp salute. “I shall speak with the Overseer, there is a chance he could be in an audience with the Council or Oum, so I want you all to remain here and no one is to enter.”

“Yes ma’am. We shall await your return.” The one who had spoken was a tall female archangel with long red hair and light golden armor. A round golden shield and matching spear were held at her sides.

Glynda gave the warrior a thin smile. “Thank you Pyrrha, I trust this place to you then.”

With that Glynda quickly stepped forward and pushed through the double doors entering a circular chamber that seemed to float in the clouds. There were no walls here, despite the fact that they had existed from the outside, and there were seven banners each with different sigils hung around the perimeter of the chamber. In the center was a lone platform supporting a single gilded throne and stood beside it was the one to whom it belonged, Ozpin the Great Overseer.

Ozpin was an angel of average height, but while in his presence it was easy to feel far smaller. His hair was short, grey, and slightly disheveled. His eyes were deep pools of green that peered out from behind a pair of small round glasses. Also despite his actual age placing him amongst the oldest beings in Heaven, his appearance was that of a young man that could’ve been no older than forty. His garb was that of light blue robes and a white scarf that both glittered with gold. On top of that was a set of armor that resembled a clockwork mechanism, and on his back, his wings shown like the sun, and between them was a floating ring of pure light.

When Glynda entered Ozpin’s chamber he had his back turned to her and he was gazing into what seemed to be a tear in space itself. Before him was a swirling pool of flame that acted like a window into the realm of the Charred Council and Ozpin seemed to be in the middle of conversing with the ancient entity. “Ozpin!” Glynda called out.

Hearing his subordinates call, the Overseer turned to give her a quick glance before turning back to the tear in pace before him and speaking. “I see, well I suppose there is little other choice. I will see your will be done.”

“See that you do. Remember Ozpin, the fate of the balance rests in your hands now.” The Council replied before the special rip began to swirl and shrink until it popped out of existence completely.

With their conversation now over, Ozpin let out a mighty sigh before he removed his glasses and began wiping them clean on his fancy robes. Only then did he greet his subordinate. “Hello Glynda. What can I do for you?” He asked.

“Surely you jest?” Glynda asked with a raised eyebrow. “The bell has rung, the Endwar is upon us! I’ve already rallied the troops and have gathered the Archangels. We’re prepared to march on the Kingdom of Man as soon as you give the order my lord.” She explained.

“Ah yes, I suppose that’s good, we’ll need them I suppose.” Ozpin replied in the same tone one would speak of the weather.

“Ozpin your acting strangely, is something the matter?” Glynda inquired.

Ozpin gave Glynda a sad smile as he replied. “As always I can’t get anything past you Glynda. You know I just had a rather interesting discussion with the Charred Council.”

“About what?” Glynda inquired.

“A great deal of things, but mostly about how the Endwar is not yet upon us.” Ozpin said with groan.

“What, that cannot be! The bell has rung, the call was given, and our scouts have confirmed that the Horsemen have already descended upon the Kingdom of Man. So how can it not be the time!?” Glynda inquired.

Ozpin gave a nod before explaining. “That’s the confusing part. The call has certainly been sent, but not by the Council. On top of that, the seventh seal is still intact. I have even double checked that fact with Oum so that we can be certain of it. Even more troubling though, is that the Council is currently unable to contact or control its enforcers, meaning that there has been some sort of horrible mix-up, or…”

“Or the Horsemen have turned against their master and are now acting on their own accord!” Glynda finished with a gasp. Ozpin gave a grim nod. “By the creator, Oz, if the Horsemen have gone rogue what’re we going to do?!” She asked suddenly sounding panicked.

“We must remain calm Glynda, it is still unclear where fault resides here, so we must try to ascertain that information. However, in the meantime we must also try to contain the situation. To that end, the Council has given us the authority to bring in the Horsemen.” Ozpin declared.

“Bring in the Horsemen?” Glynda repeated sounding uncertain. “You mean capture?”

“Not necessarily.” Ozpin stated causing Glynda to give him a questioning look. “Capture implies force, but it is like I said before, we don’t know if the Horsemen are responsible for this. Even if they are involved, there is always a chance they could be reasoned with, so I think it best we use our words before our swords.”

“And if words don’t work?” Glynda inquired sounding gravely serious. “I will not send my men into a battle they have no chance of winning Ozpin.”

Ozpin let out a sigh before he took a step towards his throne and pressed a button the armrest causing a complex mechanism built into it to whirl to life. “The very balance is at stake so we can’t afford to pull any punches. If we find ourselves at the wrong edge of the Horsemen’s blades then you have my permission to use this.” He said as he reached down to extract a small glowing sphere of pure white light from within a previously hidden slot in his throne.

It was clear Glynda recognized the shining sphere since she immediately dropped down onto one knee and desperately tried to avert her eyes from it. “No, I’m not barely even worthy of gazing upon an artifact so sacred, I couldn’t possibly taint it with my touch.”

Seeing this subordinates uncharacteristic behavior, Ozpin couldn’t help but let out an amused chuckle. “Please raise your head Glynda. I have already received Oum’s approval on this matter so you need not fret.”

Hearing this Glynda cautiously lifted her head so she could meet Ozpin’s eyes. His emerald orbs held no trace of deception, which only made sense, it was hard to imagine one as holly as he to mislead her, but still. It was hard for her to believe what she was hearing. “Why, why would Oum trust a lesser being such as myself with something so powerful?” She asked.

“What do you mean by “a being such as yourself” Glynda?” Ozpin questioned. “Please, you should give yourself more credit. Throughout the centuries that I’ve known you, you’ve proven your worth time and time again. More so than anyone else and I’m not the only one who has noticed.” He declared before sneaking a wistful look at the Sun like sphere that loomed over Heaven’s infinite horizon. Then he returned his gaze to Glynda who was now looking at him with awe. “Of course the choice to take this gift is yours, if you do not believe you are ready, I will just have to find another.”

It was then that Glynda’s eyes became sharper and more focused. “No, if this is a burden that must be bared, I cannot push it off onto another.”

Ozpin smiled as he lowered the sphere into Glynda’s hands. “Yes I suppose it is your cross to bare, as they say.” He said half jokingly.

Glynda also smiled as she accepted the small glowing artifact. However, her eyes widened when the sphere responded to her touch and began to change shape in her hands. First it flattened out like a disk, then it expanded to nearly the size of her head, and then finally the center hollowed out creating a golden ring.

“It looks like it’s accepted you. I suppose congratulations are in order.” Ozpin declared.

Glynda shook her head. “Not yet,” Then she maneuvered it behind her head where by some magical force it snapped in place, hovering in mid air, and its light began to shine even brighter. Feeling the artifacts power surge through her, Glynda closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. When her eyes snapped back open again, there was new determination within them. “There is still much work we need to do.”

///////////////////////////////////////////////////

A few minutes later and Glynda stepped out of Ozpin’s chamber and met the awe struck faces of her archangels. Each of them was staring at the golden halo swirling behind their commander’s head with wide eyes. “I have returned.” Glynda declared to get their attention.

“Umm, ma’am is that what I think it is?” The red haired angel from earlier asked while nervously pointing towards the artifact.

“Yes, it seems it will be necessary for the trail ahead of us.” Glynda replied curtly.

“Is that allowed? I thought the use of the ancient ones artifacts was forbidden, even during the Endwar.” A male archangel asked in a calm tone. This angel had long black hair that was wrapped up in a ponytail, and his eyes were hot pink, but seemed to lack any and all luster such a bright color would normally have. Out of all the angels there, his armaments were the lightest with only a few armor plates strapped to his chest and shoulders, and his only weapons were a pair of identical looking bladed handguns that hung from his waist.

“Yeah, I don’t want those demons complaining that we cheated when we pound them into oblivion!” Another archangel shouted. This one was also female with red hair, but it was cut much shorter and were several shades lighter making it almost appear orange. Her eyes were bright green and had a slightly mischievous edge to them. Her armor was thick and bulky and covered in decorative wing motifs and swung over her shoulder was a massive warhammer.

“Yes, about that. While these artifacts are normally forbidden, there are always exceptions. For example, their use is allowed when punishing those who are in breach of the ancient laws. And since it seems that the Endwar will not be happening after all…” Glynda began to explain.

“Wait, what!? But, the call, it was given!” The first red haired angel declared.

“I am aware Pyrrha, but it was a false call. And we suspect that there is something else afoot here. Something that could threaten the balance and we must find out what.” Glynda replied.

“Wait, does this mean I won’t get to pound any heads?” The hammer wielding angel asked, sounding disappointed.

“I don’t know about that Nora, there is still a good chance your prowess may yet be needed.” Glynda declared.

“So what’s our mission then? I imagine that if it’s serious enough to warrant the use of the ancient ones artifacts, it must be quite a big problem.” The black haired angel inquired.

Glynda gave a nod. “You’re right about that Ren. Our mission is of the utmost importance. You see…” From there Glynda went on to detail what Ozpin had told her and what they would need to do.

“You want us to stop the Horsemen!?” Pyrrha asked sounding aghast. Glynda gave a nod. “Ma’am I mean no disrespect, but one does not simply stop the Four Horsemen. If it were just one, then perhaps with the artifact it would be possible, but all four at once? That is madness, how are we to defeat such formidable foes?”

“I hope that it will not come to that.” Glynda declared. “Remember what I told you before, the Horsemen may not be our true enemy here, and even if they are, they may not be seeking a direct confrontation. Start with your words and it seems hopeless than retreat. Do not face them alone under any circumstance.”

“Understood commander!” The archangels all declared in unison.

“Good,” Glynda declared with a nod before turning towards another angel under her command. She was a female angel with long blonde hair and a piece of cloth covering her eyes. She was of quite small stature and her armor was of a rather simple design, while she carried no visible weapons. Her name was simply Justice. Justice had long ago taken a vow of silence so she had not spoken throughout the whole conversation. “Now how about you Justice, do you have any questions or concerns regarding our mission?”

Justice raised a dainty finger to her lips to signify that she was thinking. However, then she just smirked and shook her head. Glynda smiled. “I see. Well if you need to do any preparation I suggest you do so now. We shall be departing for the Kingdom of Man within the hour.” Justice gave a quick nod, before turning and skipping away down the hall in the direction of the barracks. “And that goes for the rest of you as well!” This time when she spoke, she directed it at the rest of her group who quickly made to follow their comrade to the barracks with the exception of Pyrrha.

Instead Pyrrha approached her commander. “Ma’am if I may be so bold, what do you think is truly going on here?”

Glynda sighed deeply. “To be honest Pyrrha I have no idea. I pray that the Horsemen are not responsible for this, but few other possibilities are very desirable to us either.”

Pyrrha looked confused as she spoke again. “Why is that?”

Glynda glanced back in the direction of the barracks to make sure they were alone and then back to lock eyes with her subordinate. “It is because that false call could have only been made, if the perpetrators had the aid of one of our own.”

Hearing this caused Pyrrha’s eyes to widen momentarily before taking on a far more focused edge. “Ma’am, are you suggesting that we have a tra-“ Pyrrha was silenced when Glynda placed a finger to her lips.

“Take heed Pyrrha, we never know who could be listening.” She said in a hushed voice. “If we do have a traitor among us, we will need to tread very carefully. I trust you know why?” Pyrrha gave a nod. “Good, now if you have nothing you need let us head towards the gates.” Pyrrha said nothing more and quietly followed her superior in the direction of their destination.


	2. The Council of Sin

**Kingdom of Man: Shade City, Kingdom of Vacuo**

A bell chimed, but it was not the resounding ring of a great bell heralding the end of days. Instead it was something of far more humble nature. This bell only promised the arrival of a new customer in a small café in downtown Shade.

Hearing the familiar chime, a young woman with short red hair who was running the register turned to eye the new arrival. There standing at the door was a young man in maybe his mid twenties with short blond hair and blue eyes. He was a soldier by the look of him, the grey urban camouflage being a dead giveaway. The sight of a uniformed soldier didn’t surprise her of course. After all, there was a military base not far outside of the city limits and as such its rank and file had become a normal sight around here.

The woman also noticed the soldier’s sidearm strapped to his waist. That was a slightly less common sight since the soldiers would usually dress down when they were off duty. You know, to at least try to act like civilians for a little while. Unfortunately, due a recent spike in terrorist activity from not only the surrounding territories, but from within the city itself, the base had been on high alert for activity lately. Of course the woman was well aware of this and so she was not shaken by his appearance.

“Welcome.” The woman greeted as she shot the uniformed man a warm smile.

“Hello, good afternoon.” The man said in return as he approached the front to take a seat at a table near the front.

“What can I get you?” The woman asked as she leaned forward over the counter.

“Espresso.” He replied automatically before letting out a soft yawn which was promptly followed by a small sigh. Taking a second to shake out the cobwebs he added. “Better make it a double.”

The woman gave a nod before she turned away and went to work brewing the soldier’s coffee. While doing so she absentmindedly asked. “Having a rough day?”

The man let out a weak laugh before replying. “More like a rough year. It’s not bad enough those White Fang fanatics are running wild all over the kingdom, but the more domestic criminal elements seem to be on the rise as well. You know when I enlisted I thought I would be off liberating foreign lands from radical dictators, not fighting psychos on native soil, especially on a daily basis.” He complained.

The woman gave a sad nod. “Yeah, just the state of the world we live in I suppose. Just don’t go thinking us civilians aren’t thankful for everything you guys do for us.” She said as she turned around with a steaming beverage in hand and walking around the counter to place it on the table in front of the man. “Here you are, one double espresso, on the house.” Hearing the last bit the soldier looked up at the woman with one eyebrow rose. “Thank you for your service.” The woman added with a wink.

The man smiled widely, either overjoyed at the prospect of free coffee, or the recognition for his efforts. In truth it was more a mix of both. “Thanks, you too.” He said before he raised the cup to his lips only pausing a moment to admire the rich aroma then he began to down his drink greedily. “Ah, now that is what I’m talking about.”

The woman giggled as she stepped away back towards the register. “Glad you like it, let me know if you want anything else.” The man looked like he was about to say something to that, but the woman beat him too it. “No more freebees though, I do have a business to run after all.”

“That’s fair enough.” The man replied as he shrugged and continued to enjoy his hot beverage.

After a moment of peaceful silence fellow over the two that lasted for about five minutes, the woman spoke up once again. “You got a name soldier boy?”

“Jaune Arc, short and sweet, rolls right off the tongue. The ladies love it.” He declared, causing the woman to give him a pointed look. Then after a moment he added. “At least that’s what my mom used to always tell me.”

The woman laughed. “I bet she does. It is a nice name.”

“How about you, you got one? A name I mean.” Jaune asked, cursing his less than smooth delivery.

The woman didn’t seem bothered by it if her bright smile was any indication. “Yeah, I’m Arte-“ The woman was cut off in the middle of her introduction by the sound of rumbling in the distance. A steady hum that was growing louder and louder as loose objects around the café began to rattle. “What, what is going on!?”

“Is this an earthquake!?” Jaune said as he rushed to his feet. Then he looked towards the panicked woman in front of him and his training kicked in. “Get under the counter! Stay clear of the windows and don’t move until the shaking stops!” He instructed.

The woman saw no reason to argue so she quickly ducked beneath her counter and placed her hands over her head. It was then that she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Jaune’s feet had begun to move towards the entrance. “Wait Jaune, what’re you doing!?” She called out to him, a mix of fear and confusion evident in her tone.

“I got to go check this out! Just stay where you are!” Jaune shouted back, ignoring both the woman’s complaints and his own advice as he carefully stepped out through the shop’s main entrance and into the city streets.

As the tremors continued to increase in intensity, leaving the café was a choice that Jaune was quickly starting to second guess. It was hard for him to just stay up right, but something about this shaking felt off. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was this feeling in his gut, a feeling he couldn’t describe that told him something was wrong. He just didn’t know what it was until he saw it.

The sound of screams came first alerting Jaune, the next his eyes were drawn upward towards the sky. Looming over the horizon he saw a massive ball of red hot flame, at first it almost looked like a second sun had appeared. However upon closer inspection he realized that it was moving, growing larger, meaning it was approaching and at the rate of the growth, it had to be at a rather alarming rate. He thought it might be a meteorite, but the ark that its flight path was following seemed far too unnatural. It was almost as if it were alive and moving of its own accord. It was also travelling in a low ark, far too low for his comfort since it nearly clipped a high rise build as it passed.

Before long the fireball had whizzed over Jaune’s head. Even a mile above him he could still feel the heat radiating off of the fireball and he realized that it was moving even more quickly than he thought. It had to be traveling faster than the speed of sound and the sonic boom that followed in its wake shattered the windows of every building in sight causing shards of glass to rain down onto the streets below.

Jaune gripped his ears in hopes it would drown out the ringing as he ran to dive under his parked humvee to avoid the raining glass. “This is fucking crazy!” He hissed once he had made it to cover. His heart was beating a mile a minute at this point and it was all he could do to watch in horror as the ball of fire disappeared in the direction of the shore. A moment later and he heard a mighty crash. A massive pillar of water and vaporized mist shot up into the sky soon after.

“Oh shit, we have impact! I have to call this in!” Jaune declared before he rolled out from under his vehicle and tried to pull himself back up onto his unsteady legs. Luckily the shaking was starting to subside making the task far easier to manage.

Once on his feet, Jaune quickly pulled open the door to his humvee and was going for the radio when the voice of the café owner entered his ears. “What was that!?”

Jaune spun around to see the distressed woman standing in the doorway of her café bracing herself against the door frame for support. “A meteor strike I think! I need to call my superiors at the base! There might be civilians down there in need of help!”

“What should I do!?” The woman asked.

“Stay inside and stay in cover! There could be aftershocks!” Jaune shouted in reply before he pulled the radio off the receiver. “This is Private Jaune Arc reporting in!”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

‘What a wild ride that was! It has been far too long since I’ve been able to cut loose like this!’ The horsemen of War, Yang Xiao Long thought to herself as her and her trusty red steed Bumblebee sunk into the depths of the Vacuo Sea.

Yang had touched down about a mile out from the shore, an intentional move by her. She had considered aiming for the center of the city to kick things off with a big bang, but decided against it. The impact would’ve killed far too many people. Not that she had an issue with that in and of itself, but it wouldn’t have been very sporting. Besides, it took away far too much of the fun if she didn’t get to do the deed with her own two hands.

After Yang and her mount righted themselves under the water, Yang pulled on the reins to direct her steed upwards and towards the city. However, Bumblebee only shook her steaming mane in discomfort and huffed in muffled complaint. Yang understood what was bothering her even if they couldn’t speak. Not because of any mystical connection, but simply because she was currently experiencing the same discomfort. After all when your hair is basically made of fire, water isn’t the most welcoming of elements.

Even now while Yang was completely submerged in water, her hair still burned. The flames born of her demonic heritage were simply too great to be snuffed out so easily. Though they did lose much of their heat and luster leaving the golden blonde locks that were hidden beneath them on full display. Bumblebee however, had no natural hair. Only the ghostly red flames and the magic that kept them burning wasn’t as strong as Yang’s.

Still the sooner they made it to the shore, the sooner they could dry off and rid themselves of this blight. So Yang yanked on the reins again, this time a bit more forcefully. After a moment’s hesitation Bumblebee finally obliged, kicking her hooves rapidly to propel them through the water. From there Yang rode just under the water’s surface to avoid detection until her mount’s hooves had touched down on a sandy slope that she assumed lead up to a beach front.

Yang smiled widely as she climbed inland, knowing that she was finally going to have some real fun. When her head breached the water’s surface a great plume of steam rose up with her. The moment her body had touched the open air the heat from it vaporized the water that still clung to her. Then with a quick shake of her head, her golden mane sparked before reigniting.

“Ah, all dry now. That’s much better.” Yang mused.

Even though Yang had a slight distaste for water, she did still love the beach. The sun, the surf, and of course there was the eye candy. All of these things were just so inviting. The beach was always warm, always so peaceful, and because of that it always had so many innocent souls ripe for the picking. Yang’s musings were interrupted by the sound of movement and a several screams coming from nearby.

“Wh-what is that?! Is that a horse!?” A panicked woman screamed.

“Dude her hair’s on fire!” A man shouted.

“The horse’s hair is on fire two bro, it’s a monster. They're both fucking monsters dude!” Another male voice shouted in return.

“What does it want?! Make it go away!” A woman demanded.

“I-I got this, so everyone just stay calm!” Another male voice declared.

Hearing all of this, Yang shifted her gaze along the beachfront until her eyes came upon a young man steadily approaching her. The man had slightly tanned skin, dark brown hair, looked to be in his mid thirties, and was also physically well built. At least as far as muscle structure was concerned. This was apparent because the man was also very sparsely clothed, only dressed in a pair of sandals and swim trunks, the latter of which left little to the imagination. The sight of this caused Yang’s smile to sharpen at its edges before she checked the eye candy box in her head.

“Look ma’am, I don’t know if you’re some sort of cosplayer or what, but no animals are allowed on the beach, especially horses. Also in case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t the time to be playing jokes, so unless you’ve come here to help with this crisis I’ll have to ask you to leave!” The tanned man declared.

“Crisis?” Yang asked as she looked down at the man with an eyebrow raised in question. She hadn’t even done anything yet, so how could there be a crisis already.

The man gave Yang an odd look before he motioned to the beach around them. Yang followed his direction to see another man a few feet away that appeared to be in the middle of resuscitating a fallen woman. The woman in question was sprawled out on the sand and was looking more than a little pale. She had dark hair and was also dressed in swimwear. The woman was quite attractive as well, or at least Yang thought she was. It didn’t seem like her pale complexion was as natural for her as it was for her sister and the bikini she wore was in tatters.

For a moment Yang wondered what could’ve happened to the woman, but a quick glance around the rest of the beach was all the answer she needed. Despite her earlier efforts to minimize her damage, she must’ve still landed too close to the shore. The impact likely created some sort of tidal wave. Well that or at least something akin to it, Yang wasn’t an expert when it came to this type of stuff. Anyway if it was a wave it would’ve had to be a rather large one, at least if the state of the beach was anything to go on.

For lack of a better word, the beach was a complete disaster. It was littered with torn picnic blankets, broken parasols, twisted lawn chairs, deflated pool floaties of every shape and size, and last but not least there were several more human bodies sprawled about. Some of the people were still living and moving about, but many others were less fortunate. They were either laid out on the beach, buried in debris, or still floating in the water.

“Oh.” Yang finally said realizing her misstep. She considered it a bit of a waste to have lost the chance to reap their souls herself, but at least it seemed unlikely that any of the fallen were warriors. If they were, they wouldn’t have been taken out so easily in the first place. They also wouldn’t have survived what is to come anyway, that thought gave her some comfort at least.

“H-hey I’m t-talking to you!” Yang heard the man speak up again, this time only from a few feet in front of her.

“Hmm, what was that human?” Yang asked in a disinterested tone as she looked down to meet the human’s eyes.

“T-that isn’t a c-costume is it?” The man asked once he got close enough to get a better look at Yang and her mount. Realization dawning on him he quickly took a step back and spoke again. “T-he meteor, the one that just fell out the sky, do you know something about that!? Are you the one responsible for this!?” He questioned. At this point several other people had noticed the commotion and had begun to gather. Yang could hear them whispering among themselves now.

Yang shrugged before replying. “What if I did, are you going to do something about it?” She asked in a challenging tone, her hair flaring up with each word. She could only imagine that this human was crazy to talk to her like that.

The human seemed to sense Yang’s anger because he along with the rest of the crowd fell silent and Yang could see a beat of sweat run down the man’s face. It was also then that she noticed something else about them that she had missed before. There was a tiny silver object hanging from their neck. Yang had to squint to see the small object properly and when she did, she realized that it was a whistle.

Yang was perplexed for a moment, she couldn’t understand why somebody would be wearing something like a whistle at the beach, but then she recalled something she had heard once before. Beaches in the Kingdom of Man something called a life guard. Supposedly these lifeguards were tasked with the protection of the beach goers, and because of this, they often carried something to get the people’s attention in an emergency. Yang supposes that a whistle would certainly do the trick.

“Oh, I see. My apologies human, I didn’t realize you were the guardian of this place.” Yang said in mock apology before her hand steadily reached up to grip the hilt of her sword. “Since you are a fellow warrior I suppose I you owe you a proper introduction. I am Yang Xiao Long, rider of the red horse. Though that’s a bit of a mouthful, so for today you can just call me War.” She said while adding a playful wink and pulling her broadsword free from its scabbard. “Now with that out of the way, I officially accept your challenge.”

Hearing Yang’s slightly odd response, it was the man’s turn to look perplexed. Uncertain of what else to do he turned to the other beach goes that currently forming a loose circle several feet away, likely not wanting to get too close to the crazy flaming woman with the sword the size of a surfboard. The man couldn’t say he blamed them since he was starting to question his own life choices. To his dismay however, none of the onlookers seemed anymore sure of this situation than he was.

Having nothing else to do, the man thought to just ask the person in question for clarification. “I’m sorry, you accept my whahhhhh!” The man didn’t get to finish his question since about half way into it Yang let out a mighty battle cry and charged towards him.

The man tried to react, but Yang moved with speed that defied reason, and by the time his brain’s warning had reached his muscles, he had already been run straight through the chest by Yang’s blade. The man’s bulky form had offered him no protection against the wicked steel of Yang’s sword and once impaled he was left to dangle on the end of the blade, gasping for breath that his punctured lungs could not hope to hold.

As Yang watched the man’s wide panicked eyes fade to a dull grey, her own expression turned to disappointment. “What, is that all you’ve got? I’m afraid that’s just not going to ‘cut it’ my friend.” Then she began to giggle at her own joke before flicking her blade to the side to dislodge the body, letting it fall limp in the sand.

Meanwhile all of the people that had gathered moments ago were now desperately trying to put space between themselves and the monster that had just killed the lifeguard, without drawing her attention. Yang had to applaud their collective instincts for that. Normally there would be at least one person to scream before making a break for it. Of course their stealthy retreat still hadn’t gone unnoticed by Bumblebee and Yang’s fateful companion let out a huff to warn her as much.

“Huh, what is it girl?” Yang asked causing Bumblebee to huff again before pointing a hoof in the direction of a few fleeing people. Yang just rolled her eyes before rubbing her mounts fiery mane. “Don’t worry about them girl, their just guppies, we’re after the big fish today.”

Bumblebee huffed again before bucking slightly to show her displeasure. Yang just laughed it off. “Yeah, yeah I know! Kill everyone that runs! That’s what the council ordered right? It will be fine. Their time will come soon enough. For now, I just want to focus on the strong ones. The only question is where do we...” Yang trailed off when she heard a faint rumbling that drew her eyes over towards the city.

They were still a ways off, but Yang could just make out what appeared to be a few attack helicopters heading in her direction. There was also a small convoy of grey tinted trucks carrying some heavy looking equipment coming down from the mountain that boarded the city. “Hello, looks like we found our big fish.”

“Shall we go greet them girl?” Yang asked, once again sounding excited. Bumblebee just huffed in acknowledgment. That must’ve been all Yang needed since without further ado she snapped on the reins and the pair speeded towards the city.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

**Kingdom of Hell: Ninth Circle**

Nestled in the center of Hell’s lowest level, buried so deep that not even Heaven’s light could hope to reach, stood a high tower that was as black as the night sky and larger than any structure man could ever hope to construct. Known simply as the Black Tower, this structure was Hell’s greatest fortress and stood as a symbol of its unwavering might and authority.

The Black Tower’s outer walls were carved from obsidian and reinforced through powerful ancient magics making them virtually impenetrable. Its interior was like a maze of winding corridors that were impossible to navigate without already knowing the way.

There were also many areas of the Black Tower that could not be accessed at all without very advanced understanding of the magical arts. The most important of these secluded areas was the council chamber. Not only did this room act as a meeting place for the Council of Sin, the seven most powerful generals in Hell’s army, but it also doubled as their queen’s throne room.

Since the Charred Council brought the war with Heaven to an abrupt close, the council chamber had been used less and less. The Council of Sin only meeting on occasion to discuss their plans for the future End War and even then, it was rare for more than a few members to be in attendance. Each member of the council was either too busy hatching their own schemes in the shadows or simply too lazy to adhere to their duties. However, that was not the case on this day.

By now the news of the End War’s beginning had spread throughout the nine circles, so it was of little surprise when the Queen of the Black Tower called an emergency meeting of the Seven Sins to order, and few even among the Sins were foolish enough to ignore such a summons.

The council chamber itself was a simple affair, dark and foreboding, but relatively tame by Hell’s standards. On many of the higher levels blood was considered an acceptable substitution for paint and bones were a popular building material, but the council chamber was different.

The council chamber had walls carved from limestone and they were lined with large clear glass windows. The floor was made of a dark mahogany and jet black crystals poking through it along the sides and in the center of the space. These crystals were gathered in clusters and let off a dim purple glow which along with a few lit candles lining the walls served as the chambers only sources of light.

In the center of the chamber surrounded by a throne carved from the same black crystals and seven identical ornate wooden chairs sat a slab of pure onyx. The onyx had been cut into a flat surface to act as a table and it also gave off the same purple glow that the other crystals spread around the room did, illuminating the faces of its occupants.

Among the seats that surrounded the onyx table, four were currently occupied, while four were still vacant. The crystal throne itself sat empty, their host having not yet arrived, but in the seat on its left hand side sat a humanoid demon that had his legs awkwardly pulled up onto the seat with him rather than flat on the floor. This demon had long black hair that was pulled together into a single braid that hung down his back. He was also garbed mostly in white and his shirt was open and sleeveless leaving his scarred arms and chest visible. He was currently busy talking to himself and had a mad look it his gold eyes.

“I see you still haven’t gotten over those bad habits of yours, huh Tyrian?” The demon sitting directly across from the wild eyed demon asked, his tone seeping with condescension. “Why are you so worked up anyway?”

The dark haired demon instantly straightened himself, his wild eyes becoming as sharp as razors as they zeroed in on the one who had spoken. Opposite him sat a demon who was also dressed in white, only instead of a sleeveless shirt and tattered jeans, this demon wore a white suit, black pants, and a black bowler hat with a red strip. His eyes were of a dark-green hue that felt almost hypnotic when gazed upon. The demon’s hair was bright red and in the right light, almost seemed orange. This demon seemed almost bored as he leaned back in his chair and lazily puffed on a cigar.

“That’s Envy to you, Greed!” The dark haired demon spat in response. “And the better question is why aren’t you worked up!? I am just excited to finally be able to serve our queen in glorious combat once again! Not that a weak coward like yourself could hope to understand what that’s like!”

“Yeah, yeah whatever you say.” The demon known as Greed said as he waved dismissively. “Speaking of, our queen seems to be late.” He said motioning towards the empty throne. “Kind of strange to call all of us down here and then not even bother to show up, don’t you think?” He asked with a shrug.

Envy’s expression twisted in displeasure, slowly becoming murderous until he looked like he was about to lung over the table and claw out Greed’s throat, but the lone female demon at the table spoke up before he got the chance. “I do not believe it is your place to question our queen’s commands, Roman.”

Both Greed and Envy turned their attention towards the one who had spoken. Sitting at the very end of the table directly facing the throne was a female demon garbed in a red silken dress with gold trimming. Her hair was as black as night and hung down to her shoulders while her eyes were piercingly sharp balls of amber and she was currently using them to stare her companion down. She gripped a grail of dark red liquid in one hand and looked to have been about to drink before the squabble had broken out. The fact that she had been interrupted didn’t seem to be too pleasing to her.

Greed averted his gaze while Envy scoffed and began to speak in a sarcastic tone. “For once we agree on something Vanity, who would’ve thought.”

“Careful Envy, your hubris is showing.” Greed retorted, causing Envy to snarl in his direction.

Meanwhile a third male demon that was sat directly to the right of Greed let out an annoyed sigh. This demon was garbed mostly in black with the only exceptions being the white gloves and mask that covered his hands and eyes respectively. Along with the red symbols that appeared in different places throughout his attire. Among this group, this demon’s demonic features were some of the most prominent with his flaming red hair and the set of large horn like growths protruding through it. There was also the pair of large bat like wings that he had folded behind his back.

“You got something you want to add Adam?” Greed inquired.

“It’s Wrath.” The black clad demon spat. “And no, I’m just sick of hearing the sound of your voice.” That remark earned a laugh from Envy and a roll of the eyes from Vanity.

Greed just glared, but said no more. Wrath found that to be a wise course of action on his part. After all it looked like the others were gearing up to eviscerate him. Not that Wrath really cared much either way. Greed was annoying at the best of times, but he was still a comrade and he had his uses. He also didn’t really mind being called by his given name quite as much as the others did either.

Adam Taurus was Wrath’s given name and it was a name that had always held a great deal of weight in the underworld for one reason or another. Adam, like most of hell’s denizens was a demon, but not all demons were created equal. Demons came in all shapes and sizes. Some had soft smooth skin like that of the humans while others had rough scaly skin like beasts. A rare few even lacked much of a physical form at all which allowed them to alter their shape and size as they saw fit.

Adam for his part was what most would refer to as a greater fire demon. Another fact he was quite proud of since it gave him both physical power and a presence that couldn’t go ignored. It did all of this while not being too large and cumbersome like some of his other brethren.

Of course Adam still preferred the title of Wrath. After all it had been gifted to him by the powers that be and receiving such a title was the greatest honor a demon such as himself could ever receive. With it he had also been granted a seat among the Council of Sin, a group composed of Hell’s most elite, and they held almost absolute authority within the Kingdom of Hell. They were second only to the Great Destroyer himself and of course his chosen representative, the Black Queen Salem.

Unfortunately many of Wrath’s fellow council members didn’t seem to grasp the importance of their position. It was the only explanation for why there were still three vacant seats at the table with the End War nearly upon them. “It seems that Gluttony, Lust, and Sloth still haven’t arrived.” He said.

“Big surprise there, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen any of them come to a meeting.” Greed declared.

“I’m sure they will be here, not even they would ignore our Queen’s summons.” Vanity reasoned.

Greed looked like he had something to say about that, but he was interrupted when a dark void seemed to appear out of thin air directly behind the throne and a female voice echoed from beyond the emptiness. “Vanity speaks the truth.”

Everyone’s attention turned towards the rip in space and Envy rushed to his feet only to lower his head in a bow. “Welcome back, my queen!” He declared as a pale white leg covered with bulging black vanes stepped through the portal followed by the most powerful woman in all of Hell, the Black Queen Salem. “We have gathered as you have instructed.”

As the name suggests, the Black Queen was an imposing figure, the black veins that ran along her leg covered most of her body, and the pale skin made them stand out all the more. Her hair was as white as cobwebs and were held up in a complex weave. Her eyes were as black and bottomless as the void she had appeared from.

“So you have.” Salem acknowledged as she surveyed the chamber before fixing her gaze on the three empty seats. “Rather at least most of you.” Without saying anything more she stepped forward, the dark portal closing behind her. Then she took up her seat on the throne.

“Yes, so it would seem.” Envy declared, looking momentarily uncertain before clearing his throat and continuing. “What do you wish us to do my queen? Shall we begin without them?” He suggested.

“No,” Salem said firmly. “I have already received word from Lust and Gluttony. They will be delayed, but shall join us shortly.”

“Ah, I see, then I suppose I can wait a little longer.” Envy said before finally retaking his seat.

“Wait, what of Sloth my queen?” Greed chimed in as he pointed his thumb back towards the empty seat between Wrath and Vanity.

“Of that I am uncertain.” Salem said after a moment of thought. “I can sense that Sloth is within our Kingdom’s borders, but it does not feel as though they are drawing near.”

Wrath sneered at the mention of the name. “I’m sure that lazy fool is still loafing around here somewhere.”

Salem gave a nod. “Indeed that is a likely scenario, but that is simply the nature of their hubris so it can’t be helped. Though, their presence is still required. Wrath!”

“Yes my queen!?” Wrath replied sounding slightly startled.

“I would like you to go locate Sloth and bring her here.” Salem declared.

Wrath spoke before he could think better of it. “Huh? Wait a minute, why are you asking me to go after that freak!?”

Envy’s chair hit the floor as he rushed to his feet. “Are you questioning a directed order from our…” Envy was silenced when Salem held up her hand to wave him off.

“Wrath,” Salem began her tone measured, but serious. “I do not recall ‘asking’ you to do anything. Did something I’ve just said sound like a question to you?”

That certainly did, but Wrath knew that wasn’t the point and knew better to vocalize that observation. So instead he just swallowed the growing lump in his throat and made to stand. “No my queen, I spoke out of turn. If you will allow me I shall go fetch Sloth at once.”

Salem stared Wrath down for a moment longer allowing him to sweat before finally leaning back in her throne and saying. “You may.”

Without further ado Wrath shot up from his seat and snatched his katana sword which had been propped up against the table. He then turned away and began his march. The whole way making it a point to ignore the snickering coming from the direction of Greed and the pointed glares that Envy and Vanity were boring into his backside.

After Adam had taken only a few steps he drew forth his sword, the blade was as red as blood and gleamed menacingly in the candlelight. However as soon as the blade appeared it cut a path across the air before disappearing back into its scabbard. With that one swift motion Adam had not just cut open air, but rather he seemed to have cut space itself, creating a small crimson red portal not unlike the one his queen had used moments ago.

Now with his path opened to him, Wrath took a deep breath to settle his nerves and frustrations before stepped forward and vanishing in the void.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

**Kingdom of Hell: Seventh Circle**

When Adam popped back into being, he now found himself in the Seventh Circle of Hell. A plane that was comprised of mostly desert; there was no water here, only rivers of boiling blood that seemed to flow on forever. As a result very little foliage could be found and what did exist was twisted into a horrific visage.

The Seventh Circle wasn’t the most pleasant of places to be, but few places within Hell’s domain were what you would call nice. Not that it mattered. Adam wasn’t here to sight see after all. This place like most of the nine circles, excluding only the first and last, were governed by a member of the Council of Sin. And it just so happens that this was Sloth’s territory. He figured it was as good a place to start as any.

A quick look around had told Adam that he was just outside of Sloth’s fortress. He would’ve tried to land inside the fort itself, but powerful magical wards prevented even a being such as himself from doing such. A bit annoying, but Adam had to admit it wouldn’t make for much of a defense if the enemy could just warp inside of it.

The fortress itself was a relatively large structure made mostly out of brick and mortar and bared a striking resemblance to the medieval castles of man. Adam didn’t really think much of it though. After all it wasn’t nearly as impressive as the Black Tower, but he supposed that it served its purpose well enough.

As Adam approached the gates to Sloth’s fortress he noticed a few odd things. First the gates were not only open, but there was nobody guarding them. Sure, few intruders from Heaven or Earth could hope to reach this place alive, but Hell’s minions faced just as many enemies within their own ranks. Demons aren’t the most trustworthy creatures as they say.

“Hello!” Adam called out as he pushed through the gates and towards the courtyard. He expected with the End War upon them that he would find at least a few of Sloth’s lackeys preparing for battle, but there was nobody here either. “This is strange.” He murmured to himself.

“Hello! Is anyone here!?” Adam called out a bit louder this time. There was still no reply, so he let out a frustrated sigh before pressing on. If there was nobody here then that could just mean Sloth and their lackeys were simply deeper inside, perhaps in the great hall where Sloth’s minions would eat their meals.

Not being the most familiar with the layout of this particular fort, Adam just made a beeline for the nearest entrance he can see. Straight across the courtyard from where he had entered, Adam came upon a set of large ornate wooden doors, each baring the depiction of a fire dragon carved into the woodwork. As he pushed his way inside and saw the rows of pews leading up to a black altar, he realized that he was in the wrong place.

This place was a sacrificial altar of sorts, the type that demons would often use to make offerings to the Great Destroyer. Usually to gain a boon of some kind for an important battle that was to come. Since the pact was formed and the war between Heaven and Hell was put on hold, these altars haven’t seen much use. That fact was reflected by the cobwebs and dust that had accumulated to the point that they were now covering nearly every surface as well as the absence of anyone to clean them away.

Though, now that Adam thought about it, with the End War only moments away at least somebody should be here to make an offering. “Hmm, this is quite troubling.” Adam thought allowed as he gave the altar room another once over.

There really wasn’t anyone here, but there was one thing that caught his eye. Directly behind the altar stud a large marble statue of what appeared to be a male winged demon. At first he thought it to be a depiction of the Great Destroyer, but the features weren’t quite right. This demon had arms as thick as tree trunks and they were crossed over bared chest. It also had a set of long curved horns that were not unlike those of a ram. Finally a small beard decorated his chin.

It was a powerful looking figure to be sure and Adam knew who this was. “Lord Hazel Rainart.” He said as he stepped forward to gaze more closely at the stonework.

Yes, Adam knew this man well. He was the former holder of the Sloth seat on the Council of Sin. The one who held it right before his current quarry took up the position. Lord Hazel had one of the oldest members of the council in fact. At least until he died in battle right around the tail end of the old war.

Adam was actually quite surprised to see a monument like this in here. Demons weren’t really known for honoring their dead, at least not with something grandiose like this. Sentimentality was often considered weakness down here and the death of a higher up usually just meant an opportunity for advancement. Though, he supposed if anyone deserved being remembered it was Hazel Rainart.

Hazel was somewhat of a legend in the Nine Circles for his accomplishments in battle. A powerful frontline fighter, who looked every bit the warrior he was. He always inspired and demanded loyalty from those who followed him. Adam wasn’t even ashamed to admit that he admired Hazel’s strength.

Unfortunately much to Adam’s shame, Hazel’s demise had been largely the fault of his own predecessor. Raven Branwen was her name. She was once well regarded in the Kingdom of Hell, but she committed a sin that not even demons could forgive.

The forces of Hell had been making one of their hardest pushes against the Kingdom of Heaven ever. They had already taken two of Heaven’s Nine Spheres and were making headway with the third. The combined forces of both Hazel and the former Vanity, known as Pride at the time, Arthur Watts were acting as the vanguard.

Meanwhile Raven was tasked with protecting the rear of the formation. That proved to be unwise since the moment the enemies main force appeared, Raven’s forces turned on their allies. Before anyone knew what was going on, Hell’s army found itself in a pincer attack. Heaven’s Hellguard to one side, traitors on the other, and no way out other than to fight.

While to this day no one is completely sure why she did it, what Raven did is without question treason of the highest order.

Of course treachery is usually just considered par for the course when dealing with demons, but there are limits, some lines you just didn’t cross. For example, you simply did not side with the forces of Heaven. Such an act was not only considered the lowest of the low, but also the height of foolishness. Heaven’s hierarchy doesn’t allow for much upward mobility, let alone for a demon that has proven themselves little in the way of loyalty. So there was little for her to even gain from working with the angels, even if her schemes had succeeded.

Ultimately it didn’t matter why Raven did what she did. She paid the price for it anyway. What does matter is that her actions cost the lives of not only Hazel, but Watts as well. That was two council seats left empty and a third forced out. Losing nearly half of the army’s leadership in one battle was devastating to the campaign and forced Hell into a retreat.

After that, Cinder the seat of Lust at the time left her seat to take the seat of Pride. A slight promotion since Pride acts as an advisory position to the other Sins. However, from Adam’s understanding she had a great dislike for Watts and moved to have the name of her seat changed to Vanity in an attempt to dissociate herself from him.

Now with her new found authority, Cinder hand picked the replacements for the remaining seats including her former one. Thus Adam with her recommendation took up the seat of Wrath.

Done reminiscing Adam let out an explosive sigh and tore his eyes away from the imposing statue and was about to return the way he came when he heard the doors creak open. “Ah, somebody is in here? Now isn’t that rare?”

Adam’s reflexes kicking in his eyes shot up to meet the curious gaze of a pale demon woman with crimson red eyes, white hair, and a set of long white horns that extended straight up from the top of her head. The woman was garbed in simple black robes and was carrying what looked like a bucket of water with a rag hanging over the rim.

“So there is somebody here. I was beginning to think this place was abandoned” Adam said in return.

The woman let out a light chuckle. “Yeah, I guess you might think that if you saw this place.” She said while motioning to the dusty room around them, then reaffixing her gaze on Adam. There was a new sharpness to her eyes and seriousness to her tone when she spoke again. “So what brings the great Wrath all the way down here?”

“You know who I am?” Adam asked before thinking about how dumb of a question it was.

The woman just shrugged before replying. “Hard not to know who the Sins are in these parts, especially when you serve one.”

“I suppose so,” Adam admitted before another question came to mind. “By the way, where is everyone? Why isn’t anyone preparing for the End War?”

“Well I’m sure they’re around here somewhere. The boss tends to only keep a handful of us on hand, quality over quantity as they say. There is less of a chance for any traitors to worm their way into your ranks that way.” The woman said as she cast a meaningful glance at the statue of Hazel looming over the room. “By the way I’ve answered your questions, but you still haven’t answered mine. Why are you here?”

Adam wasn’t sure that he liked the tone this wench was taking with him, but he supposed that he was the one trespassing here so he would let it slide this time. “Sloth has been summoned by Queen Salem, since they have failed to show themselves I am here to retrieve them.”

“Ah, I see.” The woman said, but added no more.

Adam frowned at that before pressing on. “Do you know where they are?”

“Nope.” The woman replied dismissively.

“Nope?” Adam questioned now sounding confused.

“Nope.” The woman repeated with a nod.

“What do you mean Nope!?” Adam shrieked. “Is Sloth here or not!?”

“I don’t think so.” The woman replied sounding disinterested. “I haven’t seen the boss around here for at least a fortnight. Last I heard they were heading up to the First Circle to visit Junior. Maybe you could try there.”

Adam growled angrily as he began to massage the bridge of his nose. “This is going to be a day I can just feel it.” He seethed before drew forth his blade once more and cut open another portal.

“Safe travels.” The woman said while she waved Adam goodbye.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

**Kingdom of Hell: First Circle**

“Well that was a colossal waste of my time.” Adam spat as he stepped out from the crimson void of his portal and into yet another of Hell’s nine planes.

The First Circle, also known as Limbo, was quite unique among the nine. The weather here was a fair bit nicer than most for starters. Never too hot, nor too cold, and the ground at Adam’s feet was soft due to the lair of healthy green grass that covered it. The sky above and the water around were all clear blue. Basically this place was about as close to paradise as it came down here. Adam however, didn’t care for this circle, rather it could be said that it was his least favorite of all, and thus he rarely visited.

The reason for Adam’s distaste was largely thanks to the pact that the Charred Council had forced Heaven and Hell into. Because of that ridiculous pact, this circle had been made into some sort of neutral territory between both Kingdoms. As such, this place was not governed by a member of the Council of Sin or even the Queen, and this allowed angels to just come and go as they pleased.

Needless to say, the thought of angels just strolling around Hell like they belonged here was sickening, and if Adam had his way they would all be put to the sword the moment they stepped foot here.

On top of that, the type of angels that would usually frequent a place such as this, were often of the fallen variety. Tainted by their worldly desires and thus no longer had a place in Heaven. That of course didn’t make Adam like them anymore than the rest. Rather it just solidified his view of them as all being a bunch of hypocrites. Though, they weren’t the only ones that made the First Circle their home.

This was still Hell’s domain even if they didn’t have full control, so there still many demons here as well. However, the demons that lived up here were usually the ones who were either too weak or cowardly to fight for the Kingdoms glory.

There were also a few more clever demons that saw the desperation of the fallen angels and thought it an opportunity for profit. They weren’t wrong either. There were many a demon that would gladly trade away a small fortune in souls just to play with a couple of angels for a night or two. As such the First Circle was considered by many of Hell’s denizens as one big red-light district.

And all of this debauchery was run by one man, a demon known simply as Junior. While Junior wasn’t the strongest or the smartest that demon kind had to offer, he was good at running a shady business, and that talent had made him the closest think the First Circle had to a governor.

“I feel gross just being here.” Adam scoffed as he began his trek into the heart of one of Limbos largest towns, one that looked more like an amusement park than a homestead. Though, that was the point. The flashing lights, the larger than life signs, all meant to thrill and entice. Adam ignored them of course.

When Adam passed by one of the local brothels he had to side step a pair of woman who sought to lore him inside with promises of an unforgettable experience. He ignored them as well and continued his march towards his ultimate destination. A large building located near the center of town with a big neon sign that displayed the words Cubs Club in bright blue letters.

Adam could hear strange music emanating from the building and like there always was, a long queue of demons and fallen angels were lined up at the door awaiting entry. Adam ignored them as well, choosing instead to walk straight to the front where the VIPs usually entered from.

“Get out of my way!” Adam barked at what appeared to be couple of lesser demons standing arm and arm at the VIP entrance.

“Hey man what’s the deal!?” The male demon complained, but was silenced when Adam forcibly shoved him aside.

Standing at the door was a larger demon dressed in a black suit and he regarded Adam with annoyance. “Can I help you sir?”

“I’ve come to see Junior on an official matter, you need not know anymore than that!” Adam declared to the doorman.

For a moment the demon’s expression twisted into a scowl, but as he looked closer at Adam his eyes suddenly became wide. Like because he had finally recognized just who was standing before him. “Lord Wrath! My apologies we were not expecting you today! Right this way my lord!” He stammered as he stepped aside and held the door open for Adam to enter. “The boss should be manning the bar tonight!”

Adam gave a nod to the doorman as he passed through into the club itself. After passing the threshold he felt an odd sensation, he soon realized that he had just passed through a barrier, one designed to dampen sound. Then all at once his senses were assaulted by the blaring music, the flashing lights, and the sea of sweaty bodies moving in rhythm to it all.

It was almost so loud that Adam couldn’t even hear himself think and the smell, oh the smell. He had only been here a few second and already it was unbearable. “Who could possible think this is fun!” Adam shouted, but his voice was quickly lost in the chaos.

Letting out a sigh, Adam pressed on. The sooner he found Junior, the sooner he could find Sloth, and get back to the meeting. Luckily his first target didn’t seem like it was going to give him much trouble. Just like the doorman had said, Junior was behind the bar serving up drinks for his patrons. A job that Adam would think was below the man’s station at this point, but perhaps he just didn’t trust any of his lackeys to do it right.

Junior himself had short dark hair with a matching beard and a set of bull like horns sprouting from the side of his head. He also had a large build, but wasn’t nearly as muscular as the demon warriors one could find in the lower circles. Like the demon manning the door he wore a black suit, but his was sleeveless revealing a white shirt underneath.

“Junior!” Adam called out as he approached the bar, but it seemed that the man couldn’t hear him over the noise so Adam moved closer before slamming his palms down on the counter and speaking again. “Junior!”

Junior noticed this time and looked over in Adam’s direction, the man instantly recognized Adam for who he was, and took on a guarded expression. “Well if it isn’t the Wrath Sin himself, Adam Taurus! To what do I owe the pleaser!?”

“Cut it Junior, I’m in a hurry!” Adam said bluntly. Junior crossed his arms and waited for Adam to go on. “I’m looking for Sloth, I heard they came by here, do you know where they are!?”

“Sloth, why are you looking for them? Does this have something to do with the call earlier?” Junior questioned.

“None of your business Junior, now have you seen them or not!?” Adam barked.

Junior chuckled. “Everything that happens down here is my business kid. Knowledge is power and information is what let me built all of this.” He said while spreading his arms wide and motioning to the club around them. “Though, I know full well that I’m not going to get anything out of you and since you’re a first time customer, I suppose I can give you a freebee.”

“So you know where they are then!?” Adam questioned again.

Junior gave a nod. “Sloth came by not long ago, they were with a few of Lust’s crew, came by to party. I believe they went into town to find a room for the main event. If you want I can make a few calls and get you the room number. That is if you can make it worth my while?” He offered while rubbing his thumb, index finger, and middle finger together.

“I thought you said this was a freebee?!” Adam spat while leveling a furious glare at the demonic informant that his mask did little to conceal.

Junior noticed and while he did seem a bit nervous, he wasn’t detoured. “You asked if I’d seen them and I told you. That was your freebee. If you want me to take time out of my day to find out where they are now, well that will cost you. So how about it Adam, do we have a deal or what?” 

Adam’s scowl intensified and he briefly considered drawing his sword on this greedy fool, but thought better of it. This was after all just how things worked down here. With a growl he reached into his jacket and pulled out a few black cards which he then slammed down on the counter nearly cracking it.

The cards were known as soul credits since they could be exchanged in certain places for actual souls and they worked as a form of currency here in the Kingdom of Hell. They also came in varying colors which indicated their value. The cards Adam had just given Junior were among the largest, worth a few thousands each, which made them far more valuable than he believed Junior’s info was worth.

Junior smiled widely as he quickly snatched up the credits and began to march towards a back room. “Be back in a minute your lordship. Why not relax and take a load off. Have a drink perhaps? The first one can even be on me.”

Adam just grumbled as he took a seat at the bar. “I bet the dogs of Heaven don’t have to put up with this crap."


	3. The Shadow Descends

**Kingdom of Heaven: The Pearly Gates**

Word had already spread throughout the spheres of Heaven of the End War’s false call, but even still, mishaps such as this didn’t just happen. There had to be a cause, one that could only be brought upon them through another’s intent. That meant that there was something sinister afoot and the legions of Heaven now stood ready at the gates to face whatever might come as a result.

There were countless rows of heavenly winged commandos stood in a neat formation that seemed to span for miles, and there were still several more hovering in the skies above, all were patiently awaiting their orders. Such a sight was quite pleasing to the emerald eyes of the Archangel Glynda Goodwitch as she approached them with her fellow archangels Ren, Pyrrha, Nora, and Justice in toe.

Standing at the front of the assembled soldiers on a slightly raised platform was a young female angel with short chestnut hair and a matching set of eyes that she had hidden behind a pair of tinted glasses. Her brown locks were wavy on one side and dyed with a gradient that started dark at the root and transitioned to a more caramel like color at the ends. If any word would describe her garb, it would be tactical. She wore a full set of heavy duty plate armor that covered most of her body and its color matched that of her hair, and she had several high caliber bullet straps wrapped around her waist and shoulders.

As Glynda drew closer she quickly recognized the heavily armored angel as the sixth member of her Hellguard’s elite archangels, Coco Adel. Coco of course saw her superior coming as well and quickly greeted her with a crisp salute. “Greetings ma’am, I’ve seen to assembling the men as per your request!” She declared proudly.

Glynda smiled as she returned the salute. “So you have,” She began while giving the troops a quick once over. Satisfied she returned her attention to the woman in front of her. “Excellent work as always Miss Adel, though I can’t help but notice somebody is still missing. What of the other task I assigned you?”

Coco put on a proud smirk as she replied. “Mission complete ma’am, in fact I’ve just returned from the research and development division a moment ago. The good doctor said that she’d be up and ready to roll in short order.”

Glynda opened her mouth like she meant to speak again, but her attention was drawn away by an odd humming sound. The sound was not unlike the buzzing one would hear when a bee flaps its wings, but there was something different about it. It was a bit more chaotic and hidden in the noise she could just make out a metallic whirl. Since the noise seemed to be coming from above her gaze quickly turned towards the sky.

There almost hidden in the clouds she spotted a small figure on the horizon, and that figure was flying towards them at a slightly alarming space. However, Glynda wasn’t concerned. Even from this distance she could make out enough details to know it wasn’t an enemy. Rather it was who they had been waiting for.

The approaching figure was a young female with bright green eyes and short curly red hair. The girl also looked angelic enough to be sure, at least about as much as any other angel gathered here. Though, something was certainly different about her.

The girl’s wings reflected the light and gave off an odd silvery sheen that made the wings appear almost metallic. Instead of the soft avian quills that most angels had, this girl’s wings were hard and looked like they were all sharpened to a razor’s edge. On top of all of that, her wings were not flapping so much as they were vibrating, and this vibration was likely the cause of the humming sound that everyone was hearing.

Glynda instantly recognized the new arrival as the seventh and final member of the Archangels, Penny Polendina. “Oh, speak of the devil.” She mused as the red haired girl came in for a surprisingly graceful landing beside Coco.

“Penny is reporting for duty!” The new arrival declared cheerfully while giving Glynda a sharp salute and a wide smile.

“At ease,” Glynda began allowing Penny to drop her salute. “Good to see you up and running again.” She said with a small smile of her own. “I trust you’ve already been briefed on our mission?”

“Thanks, ma’am. And yes, ma’am, Father has taken the liberty of downloading the mission parameters to my HUD. So a briefing will not be necessary.” Penny replied.

“Good, but what about yourself?” Glynda asked. “It is my understanding that you were undergoing a complete rebuild, are all of your weapon systems fully operational?”

“I am combat ready, ma’am!” Penny declared while thrusting her firsts up and then bringing them back down to take on what almost looked like a boxing stance. “Perhaps you wish to see a demonstration of my new abilities!”

“No that is quite alright, but I am glad to hear you prepared. We may need your strength for what is to come.” Glynda said before she turned away from Penny and stepped towards the remaining four members of their group. Pyrrha, Justice, Nora, and Ren had all been quietly awaiting her command. “How about the rest of you, are you all ready to move out?”

“Yes ma’am!” Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren all replied in unison. Justice of course could only nod to show her acknowledgment.

“Excellent, now I believe it is time we discussed our battle plan.” She declared.

“What would you have us do ma’am?” Ren asked.

“Well from what information we have managed to gather so far, it would seem that the Horsemen have split up, and are now acting on their own. Thus we must do the same.” Glynda replied.

“You’re having us split up?” Pyrrha asked, raising one eyebrow in question. “Isn’t that a bit risky?”

Glynda’s expression became slightly grim as she gave a curt nod. “I won’t lie to you, to say it will be dangerous would be a gross understatement, and I would prefer if we could face this threat as a united front.”

“Then why don’t we pound them together?” Nora asked.

“Well Miss Valkyrie,” Glynda began. “I suppose the simplest answer would be that time is just not on our side in this fight. If we were to bring down our full force on just one Horseman at a time, it may greatly increase our chances of success, but it would leave the other Horsemen unimpeded in the meantime. By the time we finished one off, whole kingdoms would be wiped out.”

“Is that the only reason?” Ren asked.

Glynda smiled knowing that the clever boy had already realized the second problem they faced. “No, there is another issue. If we began hostilities with one of the Horsemen, then the others could sense it, and ride to their sister’s aid. That would be disastrous.”

Nora looked confused for a moment, and then she looked to the others to see if they understood. By the looks of it, she was the only one not getting it so she decided to bite the bullet and ask. “Wait, aren’t we planning on facing all four anyway? What difference does it make if we fight them all together or apart?”

Glynda let out a sigh. “Make no mistake Nora, while each of the Horsemen is formidable on their own. Their powers feed off of each other when they are close making them grow even more fearsome when they fight as a unit. However, if we engage all four at the same time then they won’t be able to regroup.”

Nora’s eyes lit up as understanding dawned on her. “So your saying this is a big chance for us!?”

“That is right.” Glynda replied. “All that is left is for me to assign you your targets for this operation. Ren and Nora, you will lead 5th and 6th regiments and head to Mistral where the Black Rider of Famine is believed to be.” She ordered earning a nod from both the angels in question. “Pyrrha and Justice, I want the two of you to take the 3rd and 4th regiments and head for Vacuo. The Red Horsemen of War has been spotted in that area. Be careful, she is merciless.”

“No need to worry about us ma’am!” Pyrrha replied before glancing down at her blindfolded companion for confirmation. Justice showed a confident smirk as she gave a thumbs-up before she ran the thumb across her neck and pointed it down towards the ground.

Glynda raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but didn’t think much of it. Justice may have been quiet but she had always had a bit of a mean streak. “Anyway, Coco and Penny will be heading for Atlas along with the 2nd division to chase down the White Horsemen of Conquest.”

“What about the Pale Horsemen ma’am?” Ren asked.

“I shall be taking the 1st division and going after their leader myself.” Glynda replied.

Ren and Nora exchanged a quick look before Ren spoke again. “Wait, you’re going after their leader with only a single division and without another Archangel for support? With all due respect ma’am, but that seems a bit rash.”

“I thank you for your concern, but it is not necessary. I am only taking the first division because they’re the only ones I believe experienced enough to face a foe of this level. Sending anyone else in would be like throwing them into a meat grinder. Besides the rest of you need the help far more than I.” Glynda declared before motioning to the glowing ring above her head to show that she was prepared. “Also do remember, a fight is still not our first resort.”

“I suppose you’re right, my apologies.” Ren said while taking a quick bow.

“There is no need for that. Now I suppose I should get things underway.” Glynda said while waving off the boy and turning back towards the assembled masses. Taking only a short moment to clear her throat and focus herself, she began to speak in a booming voice that echoed like it had been screamed into a microphone. “Attention!” Almost instantly, the loose roaring legions of Heaven’s army had straightened and fell eerily silent as they gave their commander their full attention.

Glynda gave a cut nod to show her gratitude before going on. “Now I’m sure you’ve all heard the rumors by now. Tales about the End War’s call being fabricated and the Charred Council’s own enforcers believed responsible. The Four Horsemen, the very beings that are meant to uphold them, have broken the ancient laws to enact some devious plan of unknown designs. Well, I’m here to tell you that they are at least partly true.” Glynda declared. Then she paused for a moment to allow the crowd’s murmurs to die down.

Satisfied, Glynda went on. “As a result of this, the Kingdom of Man is now teetering on the edge of oblivion and if it falls, so too will the balance that we and those who have come before us have fought and died to maintain for centuries. And that my brothers and sisters is precisely why the Council has called upon us. We have been tasked with verifying the Horsemen’s actions, and if the claims of their betrayal ring true, we are to deliver swift and merciless justice upon the oath breakers!” She roared.

The promise of glorious battle seemed to strike a chord with the crowd since a roar overtook the soldiers a moment later. They began to bang their armaments to show that they were prepared to do whatever it took to maintain order.

Glynda was pleased by the display of determination even if she felt it a bit too enthusiastic given the very real threat the Horsemen posed. Still having more to say however, she raised her hand to silence the rabble. “Now since you seem to be ready, we shall soon be descending to Earth. When we do I want you to remember why we’re there. This is not the End War so you must not act rashly, the Kingdom of Man must be protected at all costs. Know who your enemies are and don’t underestimate them. Now report to your commanding officers and prepare to receive your marching orders, we’re moving out!”

With her task done Glynda was content to watch the legion of soldiers begin to separate, each moving in neat formations to join ranks with either herself or one of the other six archangels who would be leading them on this mission.

However as the 1st regiment fell in line before Glynda, something slightly unusually caught her eye. Standing near the front of the formation was what appeared to be male angel that was slightly shorter and a fair bit older than most of the soldiers in formation beside them. The older man was also far rounder in the gut than one would expect a hardened warrior to be.

If that alone wasn’t indication enough that something was amiss, the figures garb would’ve surely given it away. The man was not equipped in the standard issue battle armor like the others. Nor was he dressed in something more ornate like herself or the other Archangels present. Instead he was sporting a loose fitting white toga, that may have been a common sight in Heaven several decades ago, the majority of its denizens have long since moved on to more practical garments.

“Is that who I think it is?” Glynda muttered to herself as she walked along her raised podium so that she was standing directly in front of the odd looking figure. “Peter?”

“Oh Glynda, greetings!” The man replied cheerfully before snapping a quick salute. “What a rousing speech that was! I don’t think I’ve heard it’s like in nearly a century!” He declared before he began to chuckle to himself.

She recognized this man alright. He was Peter Port, also known by some as Saint Peter. He was widely recognized for his contributions on the battlefield back during the old war, but he retired long before its end. While Glynda did have some respect for the man’s past service, she knew all too well that the man was infamously difficult to work with. “Peter what’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be manning the gates?”

“Oh I was, but it was so boring! When Ozpin offered me that position he made it sound so important, the first line of defense he said, but all I do all day is watch angels come and go. Not even a single demon to slay. Bah, a waste of my talents is what it is. Besides when I saw this glorious assembly I just couldn’t help but join in! Back during the old war I use to fight in units just like these you know, right on the front lines. Shoulder to shoulder, back to back! Ah, those were the good old days. I tell you, nothing builds up a sense of comradery quite like a good life or death struggle against the forces of evil!” Peter exclaimed with a smile.

“Right,” Glynda began before getting to the big question. “So you want to come along?”

“Of course, what else could I be saying?!” Peter replied with a chuckle.

“No, Peter.” Glynda declared firmly.

Peter looked like he had just been smacked. “What, why not!?”

“Because somebody needs to watch the gates Peter, somebody we know we can trust, that’s why it’s your job. It’s especially important now with so many of our soldiers descending to Earth. What if Hell’s army decides to take advantage of our absence?” Glynda retorted.

“Oh, not to worry girl I put my best man in charge while I’m gone.” Peter replied sounding quite proud of himself.

“Your best man?” Glynda inquired. That statement seemed odd to the Archangel, mainly because she wasn’t aware of Peter even having any direct subordinates. Of course the man held his fair share of authority in the Kingdom, but most of the angels answered to either the Archangels or the in Peter’s case the Overseer himself. Then Glynda recalled something she had heard once before and the thought caused the earlier stages of a migraine to come on. “Wait, do you mean your axe!?”

“That’s right!” Peter replied before turning to point towards the gates where Glynda could just make out a large battleaxe that had been popped up against them. “That’s my best man, trust me Glynda he’s never let me down, and I can think of no one better for the job. Well, besides me of course.”

Glynda swallowed a sigh and began massaging the bridge of her nose before she could muster a retort. “Putting aside the many problems that having a battleaxe in charge of anything would bring, I have one question for you.” Peter turned back towards Glynda and raised an eyebrow to show he was listening. “How exactly, do you plan to fight four of the most powerful beings in existence without your weapon!?”

Peter froze. Then he raised his finger like he was about to make a point, but quickly dropped it to take on a pensive look. “Hmm, I think I may have made a slight miscalculation. Oh well I suppose it can’t be helped.” Peter said with a shrug and for a moment Glynda held hope that her sanity would survive this encounter. “I will just have to fight them with my bare hands! Mono-e-mono, ha ha!”

Glynda snapped.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

**Kingdom of Man: Mistral**

"Well this is a bit of bust." Blake the black rider mused while she and her mount lazily hovered through the skies of Mistral's Western Countryside. Far below her nestled at the base of a mountain was a small unassuming farm town.

Blake supposed that this little village would've normally been a splendid sight to see from this altitude, but much to her disappointment, her timing had been a bit off. It had been daylight when she arrived here in the Kingdom of Man, but she had been halfway around the world back then. Now it was currently in the middle of the night shrouding the landscape in darkness. Of course Blake had no trouble seeing in the dark, but everything lost a bit of its splendor when seen with her night-vision.

Then there was also the huge storm front that had moved in around the same time Blake had arrived consuming everything for miles in a torrential downpour. That was didn't help matters either.

While it did have its own kind of beauty, Blake had never liked the rain. It had an odd effect on the black shadowy mist that made up her body. Each time the heavy droplets passed through her, it caused the mist to scatter and dissipate, making her body lose its shape. Of course it was really more of an annoyance than a real problem.

Blake was also thankful that at least the rain wasn't that cold, it was still mid spring after all, but it came down thick and heavy. So much so, that Blake couldn't see much further than a few yards in any direction rendering even her near perfect night-vision practically useless.

Blake let out a sigh as she turned her gaze skyward, staring into the black maelstrom above. Briefly, she wondered if she should just blow the clouds away and be done with it, but decided against it. That would cause a scene and it wasn't the kind of entrance she was going for.

Besides, "At least this gloomy weather is quite fitting for what is to come." Blake mused.

Falling back on her more mystical abilities, Blake closed her physical eyes and reached out with her mind's eye. In a flash, the darkness below her lit up with a hundred flickering lights stretching out in every direction. The lights, flickering like dim candles were the souls of the people she was to judge today.

Returning her dark gaze to the still unsuspecting village below, Blake reached out with her right hand as if she meant to grab hold of the air itself. Then the dark mist surrounding her began to swirl, twisting up her arm like a serpent before reaching her hand, and stretching out to form a long spear like object.

The spear was of a rather simple design. A sleek black rod devoid of much decoration along the shaft and its tip was little more than a sharpened iron spike. At the top however, two metallic wings stretched outward on either side. One of the wings was not unlike that of a bird, while the other resembled the wing of a bat, and hung from each wing was a set of merchant scales. The scales made for a rather unusual addition to what most would consider a weapon of war.

Now with the spear of darkness in hand, Blake drew back her arm, and it snapped forward. Her wrist cracked like a whip as the spear was loosed and sent hurtling down towards the farmland below. It was an action taken with all the finality of a judge slamming down their gavel.

The spear cut through the rain like a bolt of lightning and struck with enough force to shake the ground and punch right through the paved road to bury itself deep into the soil below.

The shockwave the impact caused was enough to shatter glass windows and set off the alarms of several parked cars. It was far from a subtle entrance to say the least, and before long the small town was beginning to come alive. Lights flickered on inside several dwellings and their curious occupants began to file out into the street to see what had made the disturbance, just what Blake had wanted.

"I wonder how heavy their sins could be. Shall we find out?" Blake mused before she snapped her fingers.

Instantly the spear below her reacted and without any warning for the people now filling the streets, the spear erupted in a blast of thick black miasma. The miasma was quick to spread out in all directions, swallowing up the land, and concealing behind its dark shroud.

Horrified screams were soon to follow as the miasma took on life of its own, seeking out anything and everything that lived and latching onto it like a parasite. Plants, men, women, children, pets, and livestock, all were in its sights.

From her perch Blake could hear the screams now, but even with her enhanced hearing she couldn't make out anything being said. It didn't really matter though, the chaos, the fear, yes this was a tune she could already dance too. Of course all good things had to eventually come to an end and it was time for their weigh in.

"Judgement." Blake declared as she snapped her fingers again.

Then just as quickly as the miasma had spread, it reversed direction and receded. Pulled backward like water spiraling down the drain and pulling with it the souls of its victims. Left behind in its wake were hundreds of bodies, each was now little more than a lifeless husk, left to sink into the wet soil and rot.

Now with her task complete, Blake let out a sigh and directed her mount down towards the ground to collect her prize. After landing with graceful easy, she dismounted her steed, and moved to stand before her weapon. Now able to see the scales properly, she noticed that they had shifted ever so slightly, and that there were now several glowing wisps of varying color cradled on each plate.

The wisps each bore what appeared to be a distorted face with hollow eye sockets and a gaping mouth frozen in a silent scream. Blake knew what these were all too well. They were the souls of the people that had lived here. The people she had just killed to fulfill her duty.

Blake leaned in to look even closer, trying to count the number of souls she'd claimed tonight. While she couldn't discern precisely how many souls were on each scale, she could clearly see that the batwing side was dipping lower than the other.

A dark smile ghosted across Blake's lips before she spoke. "I see that the sins of man are heavy indeed."

Abruptly the horsemen's musings were interrupted by the sound of a sharp metallic clanking. Instantly Blake's head snapped in the direction the sound had emanated from, her shadowy form contorting in an unnatural manner before quickly righting itself again.

As she stepped away from the scales, Blake's amber eyes carefully scanned her surroundings, searching for anything that could've caused the disturbance. Eventually they fell upon an overturned trash can. It looked like it had been knocked off the street curb and was now spilling its contents across the payment.

For a moment the horsemen was prepared to dismiss the disruption as nothing more than the act of a stray animal, but then she realized the impossibility of that. No mortal creature could've survived her judgment. Though conversely, that would also rule out the people of man.

Perhaps it was all just the wind. It wasn't like the storm had led up. If anything this tempest had only grown stronger since Blake's arrival. Still the Black Rider had never been one to take chances and something about this just didn't sit well with her.

Once again reaching out with her more mystical senses, it didn't take long for her to find what she'd been looking for. About a block away and moving further she could sense it, a small blip of heat. She could feel the rhythmic thump of a frantic heartbeat, the pulse ever rising as if trying to achieve crescendo.

Of course where there was a pulse, there was life. Life where there should be only death. "How interesting, this seems worth investigating." Blake mused before her form burst into motion.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

**Kingdom of Hell: First Circle**

After what felt like the longest wait of Adam's life, Junior had finally returned with the information he'd promised. And much to the Wrath Sin's ever increasing annoyance, the hotel Sloth had retired to had been one of the many he'd passed on his way into town.

Still Adam had what he'd wanted, so Junior was spared the edge of his sword.

Now not wanting to waste anymore time, Adam quickly said his farewells and stomped out of the club, and back into the streets towards the direction he came.

The return trip itself was a rather uneventful one. The streets were as crowded now as they'd been on his way in, but Adam didn't bother to slow his step this time around, and most knew to stay out of his way. As for those who didn't, well they were simply thrown aside.

Naturally Adam's disruptive behavior did draw the attention of a few of the local authorities, and at one point he'd even caught sight of a hand full of them heading his way. It was a small group though, only about four or five demons with small arms and low grade armor.

They posed no real threat to Adam, so he paid them no mind.

Unsurprisingly, when the demonic guards finally got a good look at Wrath, they did what any sane person would do and made a complete about face before marching right back the way they came.

"Cowards." Adam spat as he heard the familiar clanking of armored boots drifting further away.

Adam couldn't say he blamed them, only a fool picks a fight they can't even hope to win, but that didn't excuse their weakness. They were demon warriors tasked with protecting their kingdom, turning tail and running like that. The thought of it still irked him.

Whatever the case, Adam had no more time to dwell on the matter, so he pushed on.

Before long Wrath found himself at the doorstep of one of the larger taverns in the arena. The Screaming Banshee it was called, at least if the bright neon sign hung above the entrance was to be believed.

While Adam had never been to this tavern before, he was sure he'd heard mention of it somewhere. It was a popular spot after all. While it may still have been a den of debauchery like the many other establishments that flanked it on either side, this place tended to only cater to those willing to leave a big tip. It helped to keep most of the undesirables out.

"The Screaming Banshee, huh? Figures that whelp Sloth would come to a place like this. Well let's get this over with." Adam muttered to himself before he pushed his way inside.

"Welcome." A disinterested female voice chimed in as Adam stepped into what appeared to be a reception room.

Turning to his right he saw a white marble desk and beyond that a wall of keys strung up on hooks and a rather board looking black winged angel. The receptionist hadn't even bothered to look up at him and was idly filing her nails into dangerous looking points.

Adam considered asking the wench the way, if only to see her face when she realized who she was disrespecting. However, he already had Sloth's room number and could manage on his own, so he saw no reason to waste his words on the angelic trash.

Directing his attention forward he saw a set of stairs leading up to the next level, likely where the private rooms were located, and so that is where he went. Taking some satisfaction in the startled squeal he heard from the angel as he passed her.

Unfortunately that satisfaction soon waned when he reached the top of the stairs and was faced with a hall of doors stretching out far past the boundaries of the building he had entered. "Oh you've got to be kidding me!" He hissed.

Adam knew full well what this was. The Screaming Banshee must've been making use of some sort of spatial distortion magic not unlike that of Black Citadel.

Even as large as the Banshee may have seemed from the outside, the inside was far larger. Perhaps it was even two or three times the size. Why a tavern would need something like this he didn't know. Perhaps it was simply for business reasons. It would after all allow for more guests. Not that Adam cared to figure it out. He only cared about finding Sloth and getting back to the meeting.

Luckily the halls were well laid out and the numbers of each room were clearly visible. So it didn't take long for Adam to find the section he'd been looking for and he was now only a few doors down from his target.

"Three-twenty-four. Three-twenty-five." He muttered allowed as he came closer and closer. Then finally he had reached his goal, room number three-twenty-eight. "Found you." He declared his voice taking on a slightly vicious edge.

Now all Adam needed to do was get inside. Which may be a bit tricky without actually having a key, again he felt like kicking himself for not bringing that angel along. Though there was nothing he could do about it now, he wasn't turning back.

So first Adam figured he'd try the most oblivious thing and tried turning the doorknob. It was locked as it turned out, which was actually a bit surprising to Wrath. Sloth was many things, but outside of combat, attentiveness was not counted as one of them.

With that option out, Adam went with the direction approach and began shouting. "Hey Sloth open up, I know you're in there, now open the damn door!" There was no response. Adam's frustration mounted even further before he began to bang on the door while calling out to its occupants, only to be repelled by a magical barrier.

Surprised Adam staggered back and instinctively reached for his sword, but relaxed when he saw the glyph flickering before him. It was a simple barrier spell. Designed mostly to repel low level foes and neutralize sound. Which was likely why he couldn't hear anything beyond the door and its occupants hadn't heard him either.

Adam also had to assume this was standard fair for The Banshee, because if Sloth had created the barrier it would've been far more powerful than this. That made things a bit more simple he supposed. If he couldn't be let in, then he would just have to force his way in.

A smile spread across Adam's face as he returned his hand to the hilt of his blade. "Disappear!" He said before taking a single step forward and in a motion so fast you'd miss it if you blinked, red steel was drawn forth, and the air around the blade seemed to warp before exploding.

As Adam expected, the power of his blade proved too much for the half baked magic that protected the door, and moment the barrier shattered, the door itself was throw from its hinges to splinter against the back wall.

A satisfied smirk appeared on his face as surprised shrieks of horror and confusion began to erupt from the room as he stepped over the mess he'd made to enter the room proper. However the moment he was inside, the smell hit him causing him to stop in his tracks.

It was the smell of sweat, leather, sulfur, and something else Adam's mind didn't dare to identify. It was like somebody tried to make a big batch of chilly, but left it on the stove too long causing it to burn, then throwing it out. Only for the burnt-trash-chilly to be eaten by a diseased skunk, right before the skunk dies, allowing a family of flesh eating parasites to move into the remains, and they all celebrate their new home by smoking big fat cigars.

"By the Destroy, what is that!?" Adam forces out between his stifled gags.

It was then that Adam took a moment's pause to actually take in his surroundings. When he did, it didn't take long to figure out what the cause of the stench was and how right he was in calling this place a den of debauchery.

The room was filled with scantily clad fallen angels and demons warriors, many of which looked like they had been thoroughly exploring each other's anatomy before Adam had barged in, and were now all staring wide eyed at him.

Adam vaguely recognized most of the faces present here. Most of them were Lust's minions, or he supposed toys would be a more actuate description. While certainly a few of the demons looked like they might be fit for battle, pervaded they put a bit more clothing, the majority of Lust's harem were made up of fallen angels. Many of which were blonds for whatever reason.

No self respecting demon would fall an angel into battle. Let alone the wretched and broken filth Lust liked to keep around. Adam often found himself questioning Lust's tastes, but he never really cared enough to bring it up with Lust themself.

Perhaps that was a matter they could touch on in today's meeting, assuming Lust actually showed, and if they had the time. Though first things first, he still needed Sloth. So Adam forced down his bail and looked past the mass of flesh and towards a large round bed that took up nearly one third of the room.

Much to Adam's surprise, very little sin was actually taking place on the bed. He had to assume that whatever this was, it had been going on for quite some time, since the bed was actually being used for its intended purpose.

Adam could also make out a few of the slumbering forms, one of which could only be his target. "Sloth! Sloth, wake the hell up!" He shouted.

"What is that racket!?" A gravelly voice spat in response to Wrath's words.

Then a large figure began to stir and with a grumble the bulky mass huge red skinned demon with a set of four long horns and rippling muscles rose up from beneath the sheets. The demon growled angrily and rubbed at his head before focusing his dark eyes on Adam.

"W-wrath, what're you doing here?" The large demon muttered in confusion.

"Why do you think, Bruz!? I'm here for your boss! Now wake her lazy ass up or so help me!" Adam commanded.

Bruz didn't look all that pleased with how he was being spoken to, but he relented and turned towards a much smaller lump in the bed, and began to shake it. "Boss, boss wake up!" On his first attempt Bruz's hand was swatted away, but he growled, and began to shake the lump even more violently.

"F-five more centuries." The lump mumbled.

"No, you need to get up now! Wrath is waiting for you boss!" Bruz shouted in return.

"Wrath?" The lump questioned before slowly shifting beneath the sheets and leaning up into a sitting position.

When the sheets fell away, a winged female demon with long brown hair was revealed.

The female demon had two dark green eyes, but one looked slightly faded and unfocused, while the other only looked marginally better. It was clear from the dark circles under both that she was suffering from a lack of sleep.

Most noticeably about this demon was the fact that one of the wings her kind were known for was completely missing. While the one on her left side was in full display her right wing was nowhere to be found. Similarly, of the two horns that adorned her forehead, the one on her right side looked like it'd been snapped in half leaving little more than a stump.

On top of that, much to Adam's dismay the female demon like most of her kin was lacking anything that even partially resembled clothing. So Wrath could clearly see that a rather large portion of her body was discolored and covered in scar tissue.

Adam knew that most demons didn't mind showing off their battle scars, but he personally only found them unsightly. To him, receiving an injury like that should never happen in the first place. So a scar was proof of defeat, of shame, and the fact that it caused the very symbols of Sloth's demon heritage to be destroyed in the process only added to that shame.

Still, Sloth herself didn't seem bothered by the sorry state she was in and let out a soft yawn as she began to stretch out her arms and legs. Her joints making loud popping noises as she did so.

Meanwhile, Wrath looked on disapprovingly. Once done with her stretches Sloth finally directed her gaze to Adam and spoke. "Morning Adam!" She greeted. "Or is it evening? Can be kinda hard to tell sometimes, you know?"

Adam opened his mouth to reply, but Sloth shrugged before continuing on. "So what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit Adam? Did you finally decide to join in on the fun?" She questioned, but again she went on before Adam could get a chance to respond. "Sorry to disappoint, but you missed the main event I'm afraid. Though if you give me about five minutes or so I'm sure I can come up with something just as fun for us to do."

Adam scoffed. "Not interested Sloth, that isn't why I came!"

"Boo, no fun as always I see." Sloth declared, sounding more amused than actually disappointed. "So if that isn't it then what is it huh? For the great Adam Taurus to come all the way out here to see little old me, it must be something important. Wait don't tell me, does Lust owe you credits or something? Because if you're looking for her, I'm telling you now, I'm not her keeper!"

"I'm not here for Lust! I'm here for you, Cail!" Adam retorted angrily.

"To sweep me off my feet?!" Sloth inquired in mock surprise. "Wow didn't take you for a romantic, but I'm sorry Adam. You're just not my type. I like my men with a bit more meat on their bones" Sloth retorted before slapping her oversized companion on the side. "Isn't that right Bruzy!?"

Bruz just grumbled in reply. It was clear that the larger demon didn't want to be dragged into this rapidly devolving conversation. And if Adam was being honest, he couldn't blame him.

Adam always hated interacting with Sloth in any capacity. She just loved to push people's buttons and somehow always knew the best way to do it. Of course Wrath knew this fact well and so he already devolved the perfect strategy to counter it.

It was simple really. If every word Sloth uttered was poison, then all one needed to do is not drink it. In short, say what you need to say, and get it out as soon as possible. "Cail Pendragon, by order of the Black Queen you've been summoned to the Citadel for an emergency meeting! All Sins must be in attendance before it can commence!"

After hearing Adam's declaration, Sloth's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she tilted her head to the side before speaking in a flat tone. "An emergency meeting you say? How rare. What happened this time? Did Greed blow the budget again? Or perhaps Envy and Pride have finally tried to murder each other?"

'If only.' Adam thought to himself as he shook his head. "Did you seriously not hear the call?" He asked causing Sloth's expression to become one of confusion.

"Pardon?" Cail replied.

"I take that as a no?" Adam asked causing Cail shrugged. "How is that even possible!?" Adam spat in frustration, but then something accrued to him.

Spinning on the heels of his feet to steal a glance back at the door, or rather where the door had been before he smashed it in, he let out an annoyed groan. "Sound dampening magic, right." With another sigh Adam allowed some of his anger to subside before he went on. "It's a war meeting Cail, the call just came down, and it seems that the End War is upon us."

Hearing that caused Sloth's expression to stiffen and she had to take a moment to clean out her ears before asking. "I'm sorry, did you just say the End War?"

Adam hated repeating himself, but it was best to just move things along. "Yes, you heard correctly. Now are you ready to come with me or do I…"

"The End War!" Sloth shouted cutting of Wrath as she sprang up onto her feet. "You serious, it's really happening!?"

Adam didn't care for being interrupted either. "So it would seem, but there is a possibility that…" Adam didn't get any further before Cail cheered in unrestrained joy and leapt from the bed.

"Finally, the hunt has returned!" Cail cried with her firsts pumping in the air like she'd just scored in a major sporting event. "What're we waiting for, let's go!"

"I'd love too, but I hope you don't intend to present yourself to the queen like that?" Adam retorted while pointing down Sloth's still naked form.

Sloth glanced down and her eyes widened slightly in realization. "Oh, right I guess we can't have that." She declared before snapping her fingers to get the attention of the room. Then she spread her arms wide and spoke in a more commanding voice. "Minions, my armor!"

With those three words the whole room burst into motion. Angels and demons both rushed into the far corners of the room to begin arduous task of sorting through the many piles of discarded garments strewn throughout the room.

Those that returned came barring silken clothes and pieces of red tinted dragon scale plate armor, complete with greaves, gauntlets, leggings, a breast plate, and a full helm with a fake horn welded onto the right side.

The demons and angels worked in perfect harmony with one another as they carefully clothed and equipped their superior. Before long, Sloth was sporting a complete set of armor and looked ready for battle, but there was still something missing.

That is when Bruz slipped in behind his leader and draped a crimson colored cloak over her shoulders. The cape itself looked like it was made out of some sort of special material, but beside the gold leaf trimmings, Adam couldn't quite identify what those materials were. One thing Wrath could spot with ease however were the two dozen or so pristine white feathers woven into the cloak's hood and collar.

Adam could tell at a glance they weren't from a common fowl either. The way they caught the light and released an almost golden glimmer, those were angel feathers he was sure. Also if memory served him well, he was fairly sure that they were war trophies Sloth had collected from her previous campaigns.

A bit too gaudy for Wrath's tastes, but it was common practice among the denizens of Hell to take trophies from their fallen foes. Even the previous Sloth Hazel shared the habit. So Adam didn't think much of it.

The last item to be delivered was Cail's weapon. It was a relatively large double edged sword with a scabbard that matched the color of her armor. One of Lust's angels had been the one to collect it and was not kneeling on the floor before Sloth and hoisting it high on the flat of her palms so that the she could claim it.

Adam waited patiently for Cail to take her weapon, but Cail did not make to grab the sword. Instead she stood stock still and glared down at the angel like she had just spat on her boots. "What're you doing?" She asked, her voice taking on a dangerous edge.

The angel seemed caught off guard by the question and stiffed. "I-I'm offering you your sword my lady."

"Are you now?" Cail asked with a bit of venom slipping into her voice. "Well then could you do me a favor, place your hand on the hilt."

The angel looked up to Sloth with a confusion expression, but she must've figured questioning her superior in this moment wasn't in her best interests. So she carefully slid her hand until it rested on the weapon's leathery grip. If Adam was to make a guess, he'd say it was the wrong move, at least if the expression that came over Cail was any indication.

The Angel must've noticed as well since her expression became panicked. "M-my lady, did I d-do something wrong?"

Without bothering to acknowledge the angel's response, Cail turned her attention to her fellow Sin. "Tell me Adam, you consider yourself well versed in the art of the sword right? What is the proper way to offer a sword to a superior?"

Adam could see where this was going, but didn't rightly care about the fate of one angel. So he played along. "Well if you have a lick of common sense, you'd know that the blade should be tilted down toward the one offering it while the hilt should be raised up toward the one who is to receiving it."

"Oh and why is that Wrath?" Cail questioned. Her tone making it clear she already knew the answer.

"It prevents the servant from drawing the blade, while also allowing the master to draw and bring the blade back down in one clean motion. This way a servant is less likely to use the ceremony as a means of assassination." Adam explained.

"Ding, ding, ding! Give the man a prize!" Sloth declared before returning her attention to the shaking angel at her feet. "Now then, do you know what you've done wrong now?" She asked.

The angel vigorously nodded her head while spewing apologies. "Please forgive me, my lady I didn't know! Here, your s-sword!" She pleaded while turning the blade so that it was held properly.

There was a short pause where both Adam and the angel were left wondering if Sloth would cut the girl down. Instead Sloth smiled widely as she reached down to claim her weapon and pat the angel on the head. "Good girl, I hope this won't happen again."

"Y-yes ma'am." The angel sputtered.

With that, Sloth stepped past the angel and made to join Adam at the entrance. "Ready to go?" Adam asked.

"Yep, all set." Cail replied.

"Good." Adam retorted before turning on this heels and drawing his blade. With a flash of crimson space itself opened up before them. "Shall we?" He offered, allowing his fellow Sin to step through before him.

Cail gave a nod, but must've remembered something because she halted in her tracks and turned back to the gathering of demons and angels behind her. "Oh yeah, Bruz!"

Hearing his name the large red demon perked up. "Yeah, boss!?"

"We will be on the hunt soon so I want you to head back to the fortress to let everyone know! I want them all ready for battle within the hour, you got me!?" She commanded.

"Yes boss!" Bruz replied.

"Good," Cail said with a nod before lazily motioning to the rest of the group. "As for the rest of you, could you clean this place up? They'll charge me extra if I leave a mess like that behind."

"Yes ma'am!" The rest of the group replied in unison.

"Cail hurry up!" Adam spat.

"Impatient as ever I see." Cail muttered as she stepped forward allowing the red light to envelop her. Adam followed close behind and a moment later they both vanished.


End file.
